(TUBA CITY, Ariz.)-The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports that the young man accused of the November 4 stabbing of the Tuba City Unified School District superintendent is being held in jail pending trial.

The judge hearing the case Monday determined 18-year-old Thomas A. Maloney of Tuba City, Ariz. poses a threat to the community.

The decision was rendered after the defense argued that no evidence exists linking Maloney to the crime other than identification from a photo lineup.

Maloney has been federally charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.

According to court documents filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Flagstaff, the school’s chief of the district, Bill Higgins, called tribal authorities to report an intruder in his home had stabbed him.

Higgins told investigators he was confronted at his house by Maloney and that after Higgins told him to leave, he pulled out a knife and started stabbing him.

Maloney’s case will now be transferred to U.S. District Court for further court proceedings.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The University of Utah is seeking to help thousands of Utahns who suffer from fainting and falling issues by opening the state’s first clinic primarily dedicated to such needs Wednesday.

Dr. Mohamed H. Hamdan, director of the new Faint and Fall Clinic, said faints and falls can be potentially fatal as well as an array of neurological or metabolic disorders.

While fainting can be caused by any number of things, it always results in a sudden drop in blood pressure which stops the brain from getting enough blood.

Although fainting is more common among elderly people, a disturbing trend, gleaned from statistics at the center, reveals more than 2.3 million children (14 and under) are treated at hospital emergency rooms for faint-related injuries annually, many of which occur at the playground.

At the new facility, patients will be seen within 24-48 hours of the fainting or falling episode and will have access to numerous specialists, all with expertise in fainting or falling situations.

The clinic is aiming to streamline the process for patients, eliminating visits to multiple offices and locations, cutting down appointment times and duplicating testing and reducing the anxiety while anticipating a diagnosis.

For the overall population of Utah, total yearly payments were estimated to be more than $90 million for fainting cases and more than $350 million for falls.

(BRIGHAM CITY)-The Ogden Standard-Examiner reports that a Brigham City orthopedic surgeon has had his license revoked two days before he was hit with an 130-count criminal indictment.

The Standard-Examiner says that prosecutors believe Dr. Dewey C. MacKay distributed prescription drugs without conducting adequate medical exams.

Documents filed in U.S. District Court say MacKay saw up to 120 patients per eight-hour workday between 2005 and February 2007 while state records show the 63-year-old MacKay issued more than 37,700 prescriptions for the painkillers hydrocodone and oxycodone between June 2005 and October 2009.

The totals amounted to more than 3.5 million pills.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Utah Supreme Court will decide whether a state judge has violated the constitutional rights of two polygamous church bishops by keeping them out of a land trust legal battle.

Lyle Jeffs and James Oler of the polygamous sect in question sought standing in the 3rd District Court dispute over the United Effort Plan Trust.

In court papers, attorneys for Jeffs and Oler contend the trust was founded as a “religious, charitable entity” and that its management requires input from church leaders.

They say the ruling by 3rd District Judge Denise A. Lindberg prevents the two men from carrying out their ecclesiastical duties.

Tuesday, justices will hear arguments in the case.

The trust holds most of the land and homes in a church enclave in Bountiful, British Columbia as well as Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz, the twin towns where most sect members live.

The trust was formed in the 1940s to hold the collective assets of church members, including homes, undeveloped property, food and other resources.

Jeffs, the brother of jailed sect leader, Warren Jeffs, is the bishop of the two border towns and Oler heads the branch in British Columbia.

The Utah courts took control of the trust in 2005 amid allegations of mismanagement.

That same year, Lindberg appointed a Salt Lake City accountant to manage the trust and has since approved reforms to convert the trust into a secular entity while expanding the beneficiary class to include former sect members.

The changes have also sparked a legal battle for control of the more than $110 million in property holdings that has dragged on for years.

Sect attorneys argue that while the court has supplanted much of the authority formerly given to church bishops who have assigned land and homes to sect families, congregants still have a “substantial interest” in the outcome of this dispute.

Jeff Shields, a court-appointed attorney who represents the trust, disagrees about the impact of Lindberg’s rulings, but has said it wouldn’t hurt to have the issue settled by Utah’s high court.

Shields says the sect will likely use the argument that their doctrine is in violation to suppress virtually any charges against them.

(Mount Pleasant) The North Sanpete School District recently held a strategic planning session with over fifty patrons from the district. The purpose of the meeting was to identify the critical elements of a successful school. According to North Sanpete Superintendent Leslie Keisel, the attendees were divided into groups and were asked to describe what the best school would involve. The groups were then asked to narrow the list down to the six most important elements. Once the lists were finished, they were combined and the groups were brought together to vote for the top six elements out of all the suggestions. Keisel commented that the foremost element of a successful school according to the group was a core of quality teachers. Another element that each group felt was important was student safety, especially regarding bullying. Keisel commented that follow-up meetings will be held to further clarify the results, and allow the district to put the results into print format to be used as guidance for district planning.

(PROVO)-Utah Valley University will hold a memorial service Tuesday for two people killed in a crash earlier this month in Payson.

Flight instructor Jamie Bennee and student David Whitney were 21 minutes into a training flight when their plane crashed November 18.

The plane landed in a house’s front yard and brought down some power lines with it although it missed the house and Wilson Elementary School, which was just across the street.

Benee’s husband called her “superwoman,” as she juggled several jobs in addition to being a devoted wife and mother to their two children.

Whitney’s family said David always loved to fly and had aspirations of being a pilot.

Their memorial service is slated for the Provo Airport’s Hangar B at 11:00 a.m.

The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to release a preliminary report on the crash soon.

Despite the tragedy, UVU still plans to resume its flight training program within the next two weeks.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Some Utah politicians are endorsing an effort to give states more say when federal laws are passed by virtue of the newly crafted Repeal Amendment.

This amendment would give states the power to overturn any federal law so long as two-thirds of their legislature agree to do so.

Utah Congressman Rob Bishop says it’s not about state’s rights but rather about bringing the balance between state and federal governments back into line.

The bill is expected to be introduced Tuesday but Bishop isn’t sure if it will be upheld this session.

In addition to Utah, at least nine other states will endorse the amendment.

(LANSING, Mich.)-Utah’s top budget officer has been hired to serve a similar role in Michigan, where he is charged with the task of erasing the state’s impending $1.7 billion deficit, said Michigan Governor-Elect Rick Snyder.

Former executive director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget John Nixon will join Snyder’s team January 1.

The nonpartisan Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency estimates the state could face a shortfall approaching $1.7 billion in the budget year which starts October 1 and Nixon admits he has a stiff challenge ahead of him.

The 38-year-old Nixon is currently the president of the National Association of State Budget Officers and, like Snyder, a certified public accountant.

Additionally, Nixon was named the 2008 CFO of the year by Utah Business Magazine.

Snyder said Nixon’s major responsibility will be to bring “fiscal responsibility, stability, transparency and the citizens’ priorities to state government.”

Snyder says he hopes to deal with Michigan’s deficit by cutting state spending, trimming state employee compensation, and ending some tax exemptions.

Snyder, an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based capitalist, will take over in Lansing, Mich. January 1 and must have his administration present a budget proposal by mid-March.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-University of Utah and Brigham Young University academics who have monitored counterterrorism and Middle Eastern relations believe a massive release of classified documents by WikiLeaks.org could have immediate and long-term impacts.

The release in question involves 250,000 classified State Department documents, many of which detail observations about political figures and posturing in the Middle East.

University of Utah law professor Amos Guiora said the quantity of information revealed is staggering as well as embarrassing for the nations that have had this released to the world.

University of Utah constitutional law professor Wayne McCormack, who works with national security, international law and counterterrorism, said he’s interested to know how these leaked documents were put together, if nothing else.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Parowan Senator Dennis Stowell will replace Dan Liljenquist as the vice-chairman of the Legislature’s powerful budget committee.

Senate President Michael Waddoups opted to replace Liljenquist, who came up just shy in his challenge of Waddoups for the president’s seat.

Waddoups, in passing, called Liljenquist a man of incredible ability and integrity.

Stowell will now serve alongside Senator Lyle Hillyard, who was Senate chairman of the executive appropriations committee for the last two sessions.

The appropriations spots are two of the three positions on the leadership team appointed by the senate president.

The other is the Senate Rules Committee chair, a post that will again be held by Orem Senator Margaret Dayton.

Senator Chris Buttars of West Jordan will be chairman of the Senate’s education budget committee and will also continue to chair the health and human services committee.

Additionally, Senator elect Stuart Reid of Ogden will chair the workforce services committee and incoming senator David Thatcher of West Valley City will chair the executive offices and criminal justice budget committee, which sets the budget for the state’s highway patrol, prison system and governor and attorney general’s office.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Deseret News reports that Utah Governor Gary Herbert plans to release his proposed budget on December 10.

The good news for Herbert is that the recession’s impact on state revenues appears to have bottomed out while there may be some increase in tax collections.

However, the recently updated revenue estimates for the current year’s budget anticipate only about an additional $6 million, a statistical midget in a budget that exceeds $11 billion.

Meanwhile, growth projections into 2011 are only at an average revenue increase of 8 percent.

Thus, the state will have to catch up after several years of budget cuts and using one-time sources of money, including federal stimulus funds, to pay for ongoing costs.

Herbert’s spokeswoman, Angie Welling, said it’s too soon to discuss exactly what will be in the budget.

(PROVO)-Elected officials on active military duty would be allowed to choose someone to temporarily replace them under a bill a Utah lawmaker plans to introduce in the upcoming session.

The Provo Daily Herald reports Orem Senator John Valentine’s vote-by-proxy proposal is drawing support from Provo Municipal Councilwoman Laura Cabanilla.

Cabanilla, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, believes the bill is needed to protect elected officials called to achieve duty.

Several states already have such a system in place, including Texas, where three state lawmakers have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.

In each case, their wives acted as substitutes in the Legislature.

Valentine acknowledges that his bill may be controversial, but says a solution is needed to help elected officials called to active duty.

(WASHINGTON)-Residents of the Uintah Basin have mentioned the region’s oil rigs have experienced a depression since the Obama Administration.

Four times a year, the Federal Bureau of Land Management auctions leases for drilling on federal land and in the last quarter of the Bush administration, 165 parcels were sold.

As of the first quarter of 2010, only one parcel was sold, a trend that held serve well into the third quarter, when only 10 parcels were sold.

While oil, gasoline and dinosaur bones are abundantly found under much of the land in the Uintah Basin, the federal government owns most of it, making it difficult for oilers to cash in on their investments.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Sunday, DREAM act supporters gathered for a rally outside the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in downtown Salt Lake City to encourage Utah lawmakers in Washington to vote for the legislation, which is expected to go before the Senate this week.

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors act would create a path to legalization and citizenship for children who were brought into the U.S. when they were young and serve the country via education or the armed forces for a minimum of two years.

The bipartisan effort was originally pioneered by Republican Utah Senator Orrin Hatch and Democrat Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois and has been kicked around since 2001.

Several of those attending the rally discussed the need for supporters to convey their information accurately in hopes that favorable legislation will be passed.

(ST. GEORGE)-A Washington County Sheriff’s office task force working to eliminate graffiti says the crime appears to be on the decline in the area.

The St. George Spectrum reports task force officials say the county receives up to 60 graffiti-related calls monthly and currently has about 100 unresolved cases.

Graffiti’s prevalence has increased significantly in the greater St. George area in the past 10 years although authorities say the trend appears to be on the downswing.

Detective Aaron Bergquist says there are two kinds of graffiti, gang graffiti and tagging while gang graffiti marks a gang’s territory and tagging is often more elaborate artwork.

Task force officers stated they are partnering with teachers and school resource officers in hopes of identifying taggers in schools by watching for designs on notebooks, among other things.

In St. George, city policies require crews to clean graffiti within 48 hours at the most.

St. George Mayor Dan McArthur says graffiti diminishes the city’s beauty and won’t be tolerated.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The Bureau of Land Management has announced that it will be conducting 11 gathers of wild horses in 2011. The purpose of the gathers is to apply a fertility-control vaccine to mares. The 11 gathers include the Sulphur, HMA in Utah, where 70 mares will be treated with the vaccine Porcine Zona Pellucida, to control the population growth of wild horse herds. The “catch, treat and release” gathers are conducted by the BLM periodically to save taxpayer dollars by holding down gather and holding costs. The BLM manages more than 38,000 wild horses and burros that roam public rangelands in 10 Western states.

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP)-Travis Wilkins keyed a balanced scoring attack with 22 points as the Snow Badgers downed the Treasure Valley Chukars, 97-55 Saturday at the College of Southern Idaho Tournament.

DeShawn Mitchell had 20 points for Snow while Reggie Shaw added 19 more points for the Badgers, who improved to 8-3 on the young season.

(WASHINGTON)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports a lab outside Washington testing DNA is helping Mexico identify the bodies of migrants who die in the Arizona desert entering the United States.

Bode Technology Group of Lorton, Va. has made at least 47 positive identifications since the program began a couple of years ago.

Many other cases are pending, particularly since the number of people who seek to cross the border illegally has percolated in the past few years.

The process starts with a search for other identification or clues on the remains of people found along smuggling routes.

Lorenia Tom from the Mexican consulate in Tucson, Ariz. often visits southern Arizona’s morgues and looks for such identifiers as phone numbers written inside pant legs or pieces of papers sewn into backpacks.

In the event an ID is found, the lab seeks to confirm it by matching DNA from samples to relatives.

(PAGE, Ariz.)-The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports that the Page City Council has authorized a lease at the Page Airport for a skydiving operator.

Go Sky Dive Moab LLC, known as Sky Dive Lake Powell in the Glen Canyon area, was approved for a one-year airport lease for parachute jumps Thursday.

The proposal was first approved by the city’s airport board November 8.

City councilmember Bill Diak said three potential landing zones have been considered by the operator.

City Manager Bo Thomas said Room 12 of the airport terminal will be leased for about $252 monthly while the operator has already acquired a city business license, he said.

(OGDEN)-Members of an Ogden street gang who are the subjects of an injunction designed to stop them from gathering in certain public spaces may find a solid defense if they land in court.

Currently, Utah has now law defining what a gang member is.

While there are numerous state statutes defining what a street gang is, there is no similar code for gang members.

Thus, the door is open for defense attorneys to argue police have unlawfully targeted their clients based on flimsy grounds, a potential loophole that has come under intense scrutiny from a state task force which agreed to study the issue.

Currently, cities and counties use their own criteria to determine gang membership, such as a checklist of items, such as a person admitting to be a gang member or sporting gang-related tattoos or other memorabilia.

While defense attorneys could chip away at individual policies, a Utah law may provide a firm set of rules.

However, such an enforcement could be a double-edged sword for law enforcement officials.

It has been suggested that a new state law may be more restrictive than what some cities currently have in place to document gang members or their associates.

Thursday, the task force sought to engage in a study to determine potential benefits of establishing a law which defines a gang member.

The study also seeks to examine whether similar laws in other states have hampered police efforts to document gangsters, the task force decided.

Even if the task force doesn’t press for a new code, it earnestly seeks to clarify what constitutes a gang member.

The effort is what they hope will be an impetus to implement a statewide gang database which will allow law enforcement agencies throughout Utah to exchange information about gang suspects.

The task force plans to continue discussions on this issue through this upcoming January.

(DUCHESNE)-A festive holiday turned tragic for an American Fork family when two family members were killed in a collision with a semitrailer truck in Duchesne County Thursday afternoon.

The collision occurred around noon near Tabiona and resulted in the deaths of 18-year-old Karalee Lewis and her 43-year-old father Stuart Lewis.

According to the Utah Highway Patrol, Karalee was driving the family’s minivan and stopped at the intersection of S.R. 208 and S.R. 35 when she reportedly made a left turn that crossed the path of an eastbound semitrailer truck which had the right of way on S.R. 35.

Troopers are still investigating why she made the turn.

The other three passengers, 11-year-old Abigail Lewis, 15-year-old James Lewis (both sent to Primary Children’s Medical Center) and 46-year-old Trudy Lewis (sent to the University of Utah Medical Center) are in critical condition.

The driver of the semitrailer was not injured and the Uintah Basin Standard of Roosevelt reports no citations are anticipated in the collision.

The area near the collision was closed for about six hours.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah Governor Gary Herbert has declared Saturday November 27 as Shop Small Business Saturday in the state in the hopes that Utahns will give home operated businesses a chance to serve them this holiday season.

Spencer Eccles, the executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development says about 90 percent of jobs in Utah come from small businesses and 80 percent of Utah companies are small businesses.

Leonard Blackham, the commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture says buying local has become the hottest item in agriculture this year.

Blackham says Saturday’s declaration is important for Utah as Utahns want to keep agriculture in the state and ensure as much production as possible is kept within Utah borders.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners have postponed making a final decision on an application for the construction of a gas-fired power plant near Sigurd. At a County Commission meeting today, Commissioners pushed back the date on the approval or denial of an application Sevier Power Company submitted months ago, due to language in a Conditional Use Permit over tax issues. Commissioner Gordon Topham stated that the county needs to be assured of a steady source of income from taxes collected on the plant and the CUP needs to reflect that language in the application. Topham also has conducted an extensive study on decibel levels at gas-fired plants and found the best technology available will be required for the safest level. Commissioners decided to hold a special meeting at 10am on Dec. 1 to discuss the plant issues and hopefully make a final decision on the application.

(GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.)-The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports the road to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona S.R. 67, will be closed by Monday, or even sooner, if heavy snowfall in the Kaibab National Forest continues this weekend.

Upon closure, the road is slated to be reopened in May 2011.

While U.S. 89A, accessible from Kanab and Fredonia, Ariz., en route to Jacob Lake should remain open as far as the Jacob Lake Inn, the Kane County Office of Tourism advises travelers that if unexpected snow strikes the Kanab area, Jacob Lake may not be accessible.

For more information or any questions, you may have, please contact the Kane County Office of Tourism at 644-5033.

(ST. GEORGE)-A St. George man has been sentenced to 45 years to life for having numerous sexual escapades with a 10-year-old girl, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

The 31-year-old Joseph Cuthbert Harris was charged with 10 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child last year.

As part of a plea deal, Harris pleaded guilty to three of the counts, while the others were dismissed.

Each count is punishable by 15 years to life.

Earlier this month, 5th District Judge, Eric Ludlow, ordered the three terms to run consecutively.

(MOAB)-Grand County authorities searching for Lance Leeroy Arellano say they plan to stop pursuing him by the use of foot patrols and will instead place their focus on perimeter security.

The Grand County Sheriff’s office says SWAT teams will be on standby if they receive any credible information concerning the 40-year-old Arellano.

Authorities say they believe Arellano is armed, dangerous and likely injured.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A major upgrade to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ Web site is being launched next week after three months of beta testing by tens of thousands of others.

Beginning next Tuesday, November 30, the URL, www.lds.org, will lead Internet goers to the new Web site which has been accessible at beta.lds.org since last August.

Site content will include scripture references, church magazines and manuals along with music and a wealth of video, audio recordings and images.

In addition to personal study tools, the new site also features log-in capability which allows church members and leaders to access updated versions of stake and ward directories.

Members can also edit directory updates and add pictures of family and friends.

A new section, entitled “Prophets and Apostles Speak Today,” chronicles activities of Church leaders and provides access to all talks they have given.

There will also be new administrative Church handbooks available for download with Handbook 2 (for priesthood and auxiliary leaders) available for free downloads.

The site will initially be available in English, Spanish and German but will soon be available in Portuguese, French, Italian, Russian, Korean, Japanese, Mandarin and Cantonese.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utahns in many parts of the state will be experiencing below freezing temperatures overnight on virtually a daily basis so the state has released some tips on how to protect pipes.

First, letting a faucet drip during extreme cold weather can prevent a pipe from bursting.

Additionally, opening a faucet can provide relief from the excessive pressure building between the faucet and ice blockage when freezing occurs.

If there is no excessive water pressure, there is no burst pipe, even if water inside the pipe freezes.

Additionally, when residents are away from their homes for an extended period of time, the heat should be no lower than 55 degrees.

While this may take funds out of the heating bill, the failure to do so could be disastrous if a significant cold spell strikes as pipes may be more apt to burst.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Some of the 12 individuals injured in a pipe accident earlier this month at the University of Utah have contacted attorneys about seeking damages for injuries they have suffered.

Attorneys Melodie Summers and Benjamin Larsen, both of the Summers Law Office, said that both individuals and their family members have approached their law firm about representing them in relation to the incident, they stated Tuesday.

Summers declined to say how many they’re representing and are still communicating with others and stated they have more than one client.

Twelve were injured during the incident on November 1 and the pipe involved had been closed since July 2009.

The workers were attempting to insulate an open-ended portion of the pipe when some sort of glitch caused 380-degree water to flow through the pipe.

Three of the 12 workers were critically injured and many of them suffered severe burns.

Summers and Larsen say their clients are suffering from a litany of symptoms from their injuries, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders.

Summers says her office is waiting on the results of an investigation currently being conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of Utah before formally filing the lawsuit.

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP)-DeShawn Mitchell posted 28 points and seven rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Snow Badgers fell to the Western Wyoming Mustangs, 100-94 Tuesday in mens’ college basketball action.

Reggie Shaw added 20 more points for the Badgers in the loss, which drops them to 7-2 on the season.

The Badgers return to action Friday and Saturday at the CSI Tournament at Twin Falls, Idaho.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has announced the completion of a breeding bird density map for the greater sage-grouse in the Western States. The map identifies important range-wide focal areas having high density occurrences of greater sage-grouse, a ground-dwelling bird that inhabits much of the West. Salazar said the BLM and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will work closely with each other to collaborate efforts with states and stakeholders to develop smart policy to enhance the sustainability of sage-grouse populations. The greater sage-grouse has historically inhabited millions of acres in the West and Salazar commented that agencies must work across political and administrative boundaries at a landscape scale to protect and restore sagebrush habitat.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Orrin Hatch is blasting the head of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services for imposing time limits on questions Senate Finance Committee members can ask. Hatch said that the Committee Chairman imposed five-minute limitations on any question members could ask CMS Director Donald Berwick about the impact of the $2.6-trillion health law. He said the Senate Finance Committee is an important committee and members deserve answers. Hatch stated that Berwick was appointed by Pres. Obama and was not required to go through a Senate hearing. CMS oversees the implementation of the new health law.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners have withheld making a final decision on approving or denying an application for the construction of a gas-fired power plant near Sigurd. Economic Development Director Malcolm Nash said that Commissioners can’t make a final decision until language in the application concerning tax issues is resolved. Commissioner Gary Mason said a month ago that the Commission would make a final decision on Nov. 24 but the process has taken longer than expected. Sevier Power Company submitted an application to the county several months ago for the construction of a gas-fired power plant when an air quality permit was held up by the state for a coal-fired plant. SPC says they’ll abandon their coal-fired application when Commissioners approve their gas-fired application.

(TUBA CITY, Ariz.)-The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports that federal investigators have filed criminal charges against a Tuba City, Ariz.-area man in connection with the home invasion and stabbing of a school official in the region.

Tuba City Unified School District Superintendent Bill Higgins chose Thomas Asiah Maloney in a suspect lineup last week.

Federal agents are planning an arrest.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Flagstaff filed a criminal complaint against Maloney Monday for assault with a dangerous weapon.

FBI investigators pieced together a description, then spoke to Maloney’s mother, telling them her son had come home on or about the night of November 4, covering himself up with a jacket or hood and looking scared.

Higgins said he headed home after nightfall November 4, entered his house, and found a man standing in his bathroom doorway with a knife.

He didn’t know the man and told him to leave.

The man then attacked Higgins with a knife, stabbing him in the bathtub and other rooms during a hand-to-hand battle which left Higgins with wounds to his extremities and forehead.

Higgins went to get a pistol, which jammed, before the man escaped through a window and Higgins sought help from his neighbors.

Higgins went to the hospital but returned to work the next day.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Commissioner Leonard Blackham has offered a message to families to thank a farmer this Thanksgiving for the quality food they receive. Blackham’s family has been involved in the turkey business all their lives in the Moroni area and he said he has studied the industry enough to know that the food we eat has come from a farm, somewhere. He said he has been personally involved on a daily basis to know what it takes to produce food. Blackham hopes Utahns will take a moment this Thanksgiving season to give real thanks to those who spend their time, money and resources to produce the food we eat.

(CEDAR CITY)-The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has invited the public to three meetings next month to help determine the issues considered in a plan for agency lands in the Cedar City area.

The Cedar City Resource Management Plan will set policies on 2.1 million acres of southwestern Utah for the next 15 to 20 years.

The plan covers, among other issues, transportation, recreation, wildlands, species management, wild horses, cultural resources and renewable-energy development.

The agency will conduct scoping meetings, Tuesday December 7, 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Festival Hall Convention Center, Room 7, 96 N. Main, Cedar City, Wednesday December 8, 5:00-8:00 p.m., at the Beaver Public Library, 55 W. Center, Beaver and Thursday December 9, Salt Lake City Main Public Library, Room 4, 210 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City. That one will also be from 5:00-8:00 p.m.

Additionally, the BLM will continue accepting comments through Monday December 27 online at utccrmp@blm.gov, by phone at 865-3011 or via mail at BLM Cedar City Field Office, 176 East DL Sargent Drive, Cedar City, Utah 84721.

(MOAB)-Tuesday, Grand County Sheriff Jim Nyland believes suspected shooter Lance Arellano can be caught.

Nyland said he believes Arellano is hiding in a particularly rough, boulder-filled part of a canyon authorities have cordoned off.

Throughout the day, Nyland says he will have various agencies assisting in the manhunt focus on the area.

Law enforcement agents are assigned to climb into crevices and over boulders in pursuit of Arellano who authorities believe shot 34-year-old Brody Young, a Utah State Parks and Recreation ranger, at the Poison Spider Mesa trailhead around 9:00 p.m. Friday.

Nyland said some caves and holes are so narrow that they require searchers to remove all equipment before going in.

Tuesday, investigators found little new evidence but Nyland said he believes Arellano is still alive despite near-freezing temperatures overnight.

Arellano is believed to have little clothing, perhaps only a light jacket.

Nyland believes a theory that Arellano ditched a blood-soaked T-shirt and backpack after stopping to bandage wounds he sustained in the shootout with Young.

Investigators recovered the evidence during their search Saturday and Nyland thinks that as Arellano tended to his injuries, he heard searchers nearby and ran, leaving his supplies behind.

Nyland released more information about Arellano, saying his mother has cooperated with authorities in Sanpete County.

Arellano, who keeps limited friends, has a litany of transgressions on the police blotter, most of which stem from Utah County.

Meanwhile, Moab residents continue to be hopeful for Young’s complete recovery and Arellano’s eventual capture.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A $350,000 grant awarded to state air quality regulators will help fuel the conversion of diesel delivery trucks to natural gas.

Fleet operators may now tap a new program initiated by the Utah Division of Air Quality in conjunction with statewide promotions touting November as Alternative Fuels Month.

Alternative fuels are one of the solutions proposed by Utah Governor Gary Herbert to reduce dependence on foreign oil and improve air quality.

The division reports that conversion of the 10 delivery trucks to domestically-produced natural gas reduces the need for foreign petroleum by 279,000 gallons per year.

In addition to improving air quality for Utahns, truck operators will see savings as the result of the low cost of natural gas fuel itself.

Natural gas averages about $1.52 a gallon presently in contrast to diesel fuel which sells for about $3.34 a gallon.

Natural gas conversions began skyrocketing in the summer of 2008 when the price of Utah gasoline reached more than $3.50 per gallon.

At the time, natural gas was only 91 cents per gallon and consequently, hundreds of Utah motorists converted their gasoline vehicles to use natural gas.

As of 2008, 3.2 million gas gallon equivalents of natural gas were used as transportation fuel in Utah.

Applications for the delivery truck conversions are being accepted until January 14 and information about the natural gas conversion grant may be found at www.cleandiesel.utah.gov.

(MIDWAY)-The Homestead Resort of Midway has been acquired by Legacy Resorts LLC.

The 125-year old resort, located between Park City and Sundance, will continue the Homestead’s time-tested tradition of quality lodging and excellent amenities, Legacy Resorts co-manager Steve Eddington said.

Legacy Resorts now becomes the largest private employer in Heber Valley with 375 employees to its credit.

The property has been privately owned and operated by the Midway-based Great Inns of the Rockies since 1986.

Recently, Legacy Resorts purchased the nearby Zermatt Resort last August.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Voter turnout for Utah’s 2010 election was the highest for a midterm election since 1994.

The Utah Board of Canvanssers certified election results Monday for state and federal races.

The board, based in Salt Lake City, said turnout among registered voters, was more than 51 percent.

This was the highest turnout since 1994 when voter turnout among registered voters was 58 percent.

Utah Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell said he thought several competitive races helped boost turnout, which included a special gubernatorial election in which he and Utah Governor Gary Herbert were re-elected.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Rep. Jason Chaffetz has asked Pres. Obama to investigate an incident at the Salt Lake City International Airport where the father of a young boy removed his shirt when airport screeners demanded a pat-down before the boy could proceed through security on Monday. The father of the boy removed his son’s shirt to expedite the process. A video of the event was shot by Utah Valley University student Luke Tait and posted it on YouTube. Tait told news representatives that the boy did not set off the metal detector but TSA employees demanded the pat-down, anyway. Chaffetz is opposed to full-body screenings at airports and said there are current methods available for detection, including bomb-sniffing dogs and behavioral profiling. He said full-body scanners should only be used as a secondary source for detection. White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a briefing Monday that the government is trying “to maximize protection and security and minimize inconvenience and invasivesness.”

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners are set to make a final decision Wednesday on an application for construction of a gas-fired power plant near Sigurd. Sevier Power Company submitted an application for construction of a gas-fired power plant after an air quality permit from the state was held up on technical issues over the construction of a coal-fired plant. SPC representatives have indicated that they will abandon their application for the coal-fired plant if Commissioners approve their gas-fired application. Commissioners have said they will make a decision at about 11:15am Wednesday on whether to approve or deny SPC’s application. The public is invited to attend the meeting and comment prior to the decision on the application. Other county business includes discussions on a contract for the Clear Creek Project Modification, travel council recommendations and an eagle project at the fairgrounds. The meeting gets underway at 9am on Wednesday in the Commission Chambers at the Sevier County Administration Building in Richfield.

(PHOENIX)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports Arizona has become the “gun locker” for Mexican drug cartels, according to federal law enforcement officials.

Last week Mexican president Felipe Calderon told KPHO that his police officers have confiscated tens of thousands of weapons in the past year, nearly all of which came from the United States.

Kenneth Melson, the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said the bureau’s tracing system has found Texas and Arizona are the major sources of the guns.

A majority of these weapons are believed to have been purchased through “straw sales” which occur when a legal buyer purchases a weapon for someone who cannot make the purchase.

However, it is believed some have been purchased at gun shows from private sellers who are not required to ask for identification or run criminal background checks on gun buyers.

Democratic Arizona Senator Ken Cheuvront of Phoenix says the sponsor of the original bill, Republican Senator Russel Pearce of Mesa, Ariz., best known for his strict stance against illegal immigration is allowing these guns to be purchased for illegals at gun shows.

(WASHINGTON)-A proposed stricter standard on acceptable levels of cancer-causing dioxin in soil has Utah environmental regulators watching developments carefully.

The Environmental Protection Agency is considering the adoption of regulations to make the “acceptable” level of dioxin in dirt 100 times stricter than the current standard, which may potentially reopen the door on the cleanup efforts that have been virtually closed on three Superfund sites in Utah.

These sites are the old defense depot in Ogden, Wasatch Chemical of Salt Lake City and the area north of the Tooele Army Depot in Utah’s West Desert.

Superfund branch manager of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Duane Mortensen, says those sites are on the tail end of the remediation process (which is basically done), except for mandated five-year reviews to ensure public health remains protected.

Any change in EPA regulations would require a reexamination of the site’s condition, potentially costing more dollars.

Dioxin is a family of chemicals found in soil, water and even in common foods eaten regularly.

It is often generated by rudimentary activities, such as household waste or coal burning.

However, the EPA believes dioxin is most commonly introduced through soil erosion or storm water runoff in urban areas.

EPA is considering hiking the standard for dioxin removal, which has already removed about 92 percent of dioxins from the earth’s surface.

States in other parts of the country, such as Oklahoma, have sent letters to EPA insisting their current proposal would increase the roadblocks that already exist.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A powerful winter storm is expected to enter Utah Tuesday afternoon, bringing cold air, strong winds and heavy snow.

Additionally, blizzard weather conditions are slated to linger through Tuesday evening.

Meteorologists with the Utah Department of Transportation strongly encourage motorists to leave work early enough so they can reach their destinations early enough before the storm hits.

The storm is expected to work its way down Interstate 15 throughout the evening and should strike Cedar City and surrounding communities by 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. MST. Tuesday night.

(LAI’E, HAWAI’I)-Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints president Thomas S. Monson rededicated the Church’s Lai’e Hawai’i Temple Sunday after it was closed extensively for renovation.

President Monson was joined by President Henry B. Eyring of the Church’s First Presidency, Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles and Elder William R. Walker of the Church’s First Quorum of Seventy.

The Lai’e Temple is among the oldest in the Church, as it was the fifth temple to be dedicated, after the St. George, Logan, Manti and Salt Lake City temples.

The temple has been closed for renovations on two previous occasions while the latest closer, which began in December 2008, was for extensive remodeling and refurbishing, such as structural and mechanical upgrades to help out all patrons more effectively.

Extensive efforts have also been made to preserve and share the art, language and culture of the Polynesian peoples throughout the world at the adjacent Polynesian cultural center.

(HATCH) – A 48-year old man and his passenger were killed on U.S. 89 near Hatch Sunday afternoon when their vehicle collided with another car on slick roads. According to a UHP report, the driver was traveling southbound in a 2009 Kia Rio, when he lost control on the icy highway and crashed head-on into a 2001 Volkswagon Jetta, traveling northbound at about 3:30pm. UHP said the driver of the Kia was wearing his seatbelt and had to be extricated from the vehicle and both occupants died at the scene. The driver of the Jetta, 24-year old Lauren Kingston of Tucson, AZ., was wearing her seatbelt and sustained minor injuries to her abdomen and her passenger, 27-year old Adam Searcy, also of Tucson, sustained non-incapacitating injuries. Both were transported to the Garfield Memorial Hospital in Panguitch and treated. The names of those killed in the accident have been withheld pending notification of kin.

(MOAB)-Grand County Sheriff Jim Nyland released the name of the man accused of shooting and critically injuring a park ranger in the Moab area Sunday evening.

The accused is 40-year-old Lance Leeroy Arellano, whose last known address is in Sanpete County while authorities say he has a criminal history, including assault, drug possession and theft.

Nyland said Arrellano is the registered owner of a 1999 silver Pontiac Grand Am found near the shooting site.

Nyland confirmed his officers found blood in the vehicle, leading them to believe Arrellano was injured.

Nyland said 20 officers will remain in the area which is flanked by the Colorado River on the east and slick red rock formations to the west, in the event Arrellano tries to move on at night.

As of Monday morning, the search had fully resumed.

Meanwhile, family and friends continue to mourn the injuries of Arrellano’s victim, Brody Young, a State Parks and Recreation Law Enforcement officer.

In the interim, access to the canyon has been shut off so the search may continue. All area campgrounds have also been evacuated.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-According to a Sunday report in the Salt Lake Tribune, only $1 out of every $20 raised by Utah lawmakers this year came from constituents in their districts.

Additionally, most campaign money came from corporations, political action committees, parties, other politicians and lobbyists, the report stated.

The Tribune also reported that 33 of the 100 incoming lawmakers who reported raising money this year didn’t receive any contributions from local constituents.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins of Plain City said special interests are not buying votes with their donations.

The Tribune’s review confirms that a little less than $140,000 of the $2.6 million that just-elected legislators reported raising before the election this year came from constituents.

Overall, corporations are lawmakers’ biggest patrons as they provide 37 percent of total contributions.

PACs were the second most generous at 23 percent and among other sources of campaign funds, people outside of a legislator’s district were the most prominent at 11 percent.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Consumers are being alerted to the newest scams of identity theft during the holiday shopping season. Tami Nealy, Marketing Specialist with LifeLock, says consumers have several options available to avoid identity theft. Nealy said shoppers should be more pro-active in protecting themselves against identity theft by carefully watching store clerks swipe their card, using cash or shopping online. Utah has prosecuted nearly 8,200 cases of fraud and specifically, over 1700 cases of reported identity theft. Among identity theft complaints, 17% were credit card related, 16% employment related and 12% were phone or utilities fraud. Statistics show that Utah paid nearly $13.2 million to over 5800 Consumer Sentinel Network Fraud complaints.

(RICHFIELD) – Officials on the Fishlake National Forest are offering Christmas tree permits for personal use. Forest Specialist John Zapell says the permits are available at a reasonable price. Forest officials say the tree permits are for personal use and cannot be resold for commercial purposes. The permit must also be picked up in person at any number of Ranger District Offices, including Richfield, Fremont River, Fillmore and Beaver and also at Larsen’s Ace Hardware in Richfield and Don’s Sinclair in Salina. The Beaver Sports and Pawn and the Piute County Sheriff’s Office also has permits available.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Swayzi Slade had 10 points as the Monticello Lady Buckaroos got past the Panguitch Lady Bobcats, 32-27 Saturday at the 1A preseason preview. Abby Barrett had seven points in defeat for Panguitch.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Whitni Syrett’s 12 points led the way as the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs snuck past the Rich Lady Rebels, 34-31 at the 1A preseason preview Saturday.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Kandice Gleave had 22 points and the Piute Lady Thunderbirds routed the Duchesne Lady Eagles, 51-34 Saturday at the 1A preseason preview.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Darci Clark posted 13 points and Cassey Manzanares added 12 more as the Wayne Lady Badgers waxed the Wendover Lady Wildcats, 46-33 Saturday at the 1A preseason preview.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Cady Meacham had 14 points while Michaela Hughes added 13 more for the Green River Lady Pirates in a 53-29 win over the Valley Lady Buffaloes at the 1A preseason preview Saturday. Torri Cox and Nikki Milligan had seven points apiece for Valley.

ESCALANTE, Utah (AP)-Tori Lindsay amassed 16 points and 12 boards and the Escalante Lady Moquis downed the Tintic Lady Miners, 33-19 Saturday at the Escalante Tournament.

ESCALANTE, Utah (AP)-Tori Lindsay posted 24 points and 14 rebounds while Kobbi Smith had 11 points and 18 boards as the Escalante Lady Moquis stymied El Capitan (Ariz.), 45-32 at the Escalante Tournament Saturday.

PRICE, Utah (AP)-DeShawn Mitchell amassed 29 points and nine rebounds and the Snow Badgers improved to 6-1 on the season with a 102-83 win over Pro Look Friday evening at the College of Eastern Utah Tournament in mens’ college basketball action.

Additionally, Reggie Shaw posted 22 points for the Badgers while Travis Wilkins had 15 points.

Renato Portugal also stepped up for Snow with 14 points and 12 boards.

The Badgers next face the Colorado Kings Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at the CEU Tournament.

Mid-Utah Radio thanks Snow head coach Michael Ostlund for his assistance in providing us with this information.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Utah’s Congressional Delegation met with NASA officials Thursday to press the space agency to fully implement the 2010 NASA Authorization Act. Senators Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, along with Rep. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz, questioned NASA officials on their compliance with the law. Hatch said he called the meeting due to concerns he had with NASA’s possible efforts to circumvent the law by neglecting to protect Utah’s solid rocket motor industry. Bennett reiterated Hatch’s comments over admonishing NASA to strictly adhere to the law and use solid rocket motors in the development of the new Space Launch System. Bishop said that NASA’s move toward delaying the transition from Constellation systems toward the new heavy-lift program, without proving private start-up technologies, is a disappointment. Chaffetz said Utah plays a vital role in America’s leadership in space.

(BOULDER CITY, Nev.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports the Arizona Department of Transportation plans to put finishing touches on a new 15-mile stretch of divided highway south of the Hover Dam before Thanksgiving Day.

The work on U.S. Highway 93 south of the dam should be completed by 6:00 p.m. Tuesday evening, easing holiday traffic headed to and from Las Vegas.

Crews and flaggers will be on the highway from 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. to complete lane striping and switch traffic to the new lanes.

Delays of up to 30 minutes should be expected.

The new Hoover Dam bypass bridge over the Colorado River and a widened highway should eliminate bottlenecks during peak travel times.

Upon completion of these lanes, U.S. 93 will be a four-lane divided highway between its interchange with Interstate 40 in Kingman, Ariz. and the new Hoover Dam bypass.

(WASHINGTON)-Utah Senator Orrin Hatch insists he is not a Bob Bennett clone as he looks forward to 2012 when he is up for reelection.

Hatch wants to avoid comparisons to his friend and longtime colleague in the Senate who lost his seat to Mike Lee in June.

Hatch has stressed his conservative credentials often this week as he appeared on MSNBC sharing his beliefs with host Chuck Todd.

Hatch backs up his statements by pointing to the American Conservative Union rating of members of Congress, based on 25 key votes a year.

When looking only at the 2009 ranking, Hatch scored 88 out of 100 on a conservative rating while Bennett got 84 out of 100, the difference stemming from a vote Bennett made to protect congressional earmarks.

The problem for Hatch is his likely challenger, Jason Chaffetz, received perfect marks from the union in his short congressional career.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Governing Magazine is honoring Utah Chief Information Officer J. Stephen Fletcher as the top state government official for leadership and excellence.

Thursday night, Fletcher was named the 2010 Public Official of the Year in Washington D.C.

Fletcher had built a digital infrastructure that has moved more services online than any other state, making Utah’s Web site nationally recognized as one of the best in government.

Fletcher has also been recognized for his leadership in identifying innovative ways to apply new technologies, such as cloud computing, to government operations.

(PROVO)-Education was deemed as such a privilege to our Founding Fathers that in many fledgling communities, failing to establish proper schools for children was akin to a crime, Brigham Young University students learned Thursday.

Oxford University Professor Daniel Robinson, formerly of Georgetown and BYU explained this at an education lecture at the Provo-based university Thursday.

Robinson said the Founding Fathers knew the danger of oppressive governments upon uneducated citizens and sought to ensure their fellow Americans were protected.

Robinson said he also found it significant that Thomas Jefferson wanted the public to know that he was responsible for founding the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, Va. as well as his role as President of the United States.

Robinson also cited a lecture by renowned clergyman Samuel Langdon that individuals should support schools in their communities, calling it a debt to the children they have raised and the God whom they profess to adore.

In closing, Robinson said the rising generation needs to do all they can to educate themselves.

(SANDY)-Hundreds of Utahns have lined up at the Sandy Costco in anticipation of former U.S. President George W. Bush’s arrival to sign his new memoir later Friday.

Ardent Bush supporters lined up with their sleeping bags outside the doors as early as Thursday at 8:00 a.m. and by early Friday, the line to meet him had extended around the building.

People are expected to get an average of 12 seconds of face time with President Bush and numerous fans lionized the opportunity to meet with him, calling it a “once in a lifetime chance.”

Store manager Scott Christensen said Bush signed copies of his book earlier this week in Houston and stayed longer than expected and Christensen said he hopes this happens again at his store.

As of 8:00 a.m., Costco began handing out 1,000 wristbands to those in line.

Christensen said that the first 500 to receive wristbands will be guaranteed a meet and greet with President Bush, for the next 250 a meet and greet is likely but the other 250 to receive bands most likely won’t get to meet him.

Christensen says he appreciates the tolerance and patience of patrons who have been waiting to meet President Bush.

(MIDVALE)-The Utah High School Activities Association has finalized changes in regions and classifications wherein Utah high schools will compete.

This affects numerous high schools scattered throughout the Mid-Utah Radio coverage area.

Among those affected are Delta, who will face new region opponents such as Spanish Fork and Payson, while remaining in 3A while Manti and Richfield, along with Emery were allowed to leave the current Region 12 and return to 2A.

Manti returns to a region with longtime rival Gunnison as well as newcomer Wasatch Academy.

Richfield and Emery will be together, along with South Sevier, Grand and San Juan among others.

UHSAA executive director Rob Cuff said before all changes occurred, considerations were made into how communities and community members would be affected.

(TUCSON, Ariz.)-KGUN-TV, Channel 9 in Tucson, Ariz. reports that the Arizona Department of Public Safety is still investigating the death of a Utah motorist northwest of Tucson on Interstate 10 November 11.

Magna resident, 35-year-old Ronald Papanikolas was the innocent victim in the pursuit of 25-year-old Joel Morando of Tucson who was trying to speed away from officers on the interstate at Marana, Ariz.

As Morando tried to get away from authorities, he slammed into Papanikolas’ vehicle, which caused him to be ejected from his truck while he later died.

KGUN-TV has since been trying to get information on the incident from Arizona’s DPS but has been unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, Papanikolas’ family is outraged saying that had the crash occurred in Utah, the situation would have been swiftly addressed.

In Utah, the decision of whether or not to pursue a suspect is up to the officer but there are guidelines in place to help expedite the decision-making process.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-While Utah’s schoolchildren receive numerous environmentally-endued messages, they never learn of the importance of mining and petroleum drilling to their lives, a committee of state lawmakers determined Wednesday.

The Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee recommended a bill that would tap surpluses in a state gas, oil and mining reclamation fund to develop a curriculum for teaching the virtues of mineral industries.

Representative Jack Draxler of North Logan, sponsor of the proposed Mineral and Petroleum Literacy Act showed a segment of an educational film produced by Oklahoma officials concerning directional drilling practices meant to protect sensitive surface or groundwater areas.

Representative Mike Noel of Kanab recommended the video be sent to environmental groups dealing in “misinformation,” as he dismissed growing concerns about the chemical injection drilling known as “fracking,” which is usually done for natural gas production.

This has drawn national complaints over groundwater contamination in Pennsylvania.

Draxler said his video addresses fracking and Utah students should learn the practice is safe.

The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining supports the educational effort, which would draw from the Oil and Gas Conservation account.

The fund stems from industry taxes rising and falling with mineral prices, while state law limits its annual surplus to $750,000.

Division policy coordinator Steve Schneider doubts most Utahns can understand how coal and petroleum operations disturb less than two-tenths of 1 percent of Utah’s surface area.

Schneider argued that an education program could help change this perception.

Draxler said his idea is to add balance to an educational system which already emphasizes conservation and recycling.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – A Utah County woman is suing the LDS Church and her former bishop for injuries she sustained when she fell from a zip line in her bishop’s back yard. In a lawsuit filed in 3rd District Court, Martha Miller claims that on Sept. 22, 2008, she attended an activity for members of her BYU singles ward at the home of her bishop, Kyrt Nay. She claims that others were taking turns on the zip line and encouraged her to try it and while climbing the ladder to the zip line, lost her grip and fell more than 15 feet to the ground. The suit states that Miller sustained a dislocated left elbow and serious back injuries as a result of the fall and has incurred more than $400,000 in medical bills. She is suing for medical expenses.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-State of Utah attorneys believe Warren Jeffs’ case is simple.

Wednesday, attorneys said the polygamous sect leader should be sent to Texas because an extradition warrant has been signed by Utah Governor Gary Herbert.

The state of Utah filed its response to Jeffs’ petition for emergency relief that would halt his extradition to Texas for criminal prosecution.

In the response filed by assistant attorney general Craig Barlow, it is argued that Jeffs should be extradited because of the executive agreement Herbert signed which would require the state’s Court of Appeals to turn its back on a rich history of extradition law.

Barlow argues Jeffs meets all criteria of extradition and that Jeffs has already rejected Jeffs’ claim, doing so correctly.

Monday, the Utah Court of Appeals said it would consider Jeffs’ petition, just hours after a state judge rejected the request, saying he had no authority to decide the issue or to overrule the Utah governor’s decision.

(RAPID CITY, S.D.)-Flying J Inc. convenience stores were purchased by Moyle Petroleum, which operates under the Common Cents brand.

The sale of the stores was the last step in the reorganization of Ogden-based Flying J.

Flying J’s parent company FJ Management Inc. exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2010 and merged their retail travel plazas with Knoxville, Tenn.-based Pilot Travel Centers LLC.

Thus, FJ Management is no longer the operator of retail facilities, but still remains a Utah company.

It is also the parent company for Big West Refinery in North Salt Lake, Transportation Alliance Bank of Ogden, an industrial bank, and Transportation Clearing House, an Ogden-based fuel card processor.

Rapid City, S.D.-based Moyle Petroleum is the owner/operator of Common Cents convenience stores which operate in South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Idaho and Utah.

(PROVO)-Wednesday, a Utah County judge ordered Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s son Nathan to stay at least 50 yards away from a woman who has accused him of stalking her.

The First Lady and her son are displeased to be what they call victims to a woman who abused the law to get revenge.

Aiona Buttars says that Nathan Herbert began running into her around town as soon as he stopped dating her sister.

Buttars says the disturbing thing about running into Nathan in numerous places is his behavior toward her as he reportedly was touching himself inappropriately in her presence.

If Nathan should be within 50 yards of Buttars for any reason, he is in danger of punishment.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A new report says Utah ranks 13th in the nation for funding programs designed to prevent kids from smoking and to help smokers quit.

Utah currently spends $7.1 million a year on tobacco prevention and cessation programs which is about 30 percent of what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends.

Only Alaska and North Dakota currently fund tobacco prevention programs at the CDC-recommended level.

The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids report also notes tobacco companies spend more than $58 million a year to market their products in Utah.

In Utah, 8.5 percent of high school students smoke and 1,600 more kids become regular smokers every year.

(MIDVALE)-While the Utah High School Activities Association Board of Trustees has virtually made all changes for the 2011-2013 school years, numerous supporters of high school athletics and local community leaders voiced their opinions on some controversial decisions which occurred.

To supporters of high school athletics in the Mid-Utah Radio coverage area, there are numerous hot-button issues as schools above the 439-student threshold, such as Delta, are forced to remain 3A, while those just below the cutoff line, such as Manti and Richfield, were able to return to 2A.

Kasey Wright, a representative for such schools as Delta, North Sanpete, and Juab, each of which remain in 3A, while region rivals, Manti, Richfield and Emery were able to go back to 2A, reminded the board that 3A kids are just as important as 4A kids and should be given similar privileges and flexibility.

While most of the decisions about the classifications for Utah high schools have been made through 2013, some schools still remain on the bubble between 4A and 5A.

West, Lehi, Cyprus, Murray, Mountain Crest and Sky View High Schools are currently in limbo between 4A and 5A while Orem, Springville, Highland and Uintah High Schools will either be in 4A or 3A when final decisions are ultimately made.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah lawmakers were displeased upon learning about a $13 million settlement to a losing road bidder more than half a year after the fact and backed a bill requiring more transparency in such matters Wednesday.

When news broke about this secretive payout to settle a lawsuit from the second-place bidder on the huge I-15 project, lawmakers say they were blindsided.

The bill in question, the brainchild of Julie Fisher of Fruit Heights, requires Utah Governor Gary Herbert to sign off on bid settlements of more than $100,000, the transportation commission on deals of more than $500,000 and the Legislative Mission Committee if it should top $1 million.

Utah Department of Transportation Deputy Director Carlos Braceras says some components should have improved such as the perception that influence of overseers could have impacted how events played out.

Braceras told reporters this was the first time UDOT had settled a formal bid protest which was also the state’s largest-ever state roads contract.

It was unusual because it was not awarded on price, but on how much work bidders pledged to complete.

Orem Senator John Valentine is proposing his own bill, which makes similar changes.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Wednesday, the “Patriot Flag” arrived in Salt Lake City along its journey across the country to honor those that fell on 9/11.

It was flown over the Utah State Capitol building for one hour Wednesday.

The flag started its journey in San Diego September 10 and has been touring throughout the country, staying in one state per week.

When the tour ends next September, it will be flown in New York City, Washington and Shanksville, Pa. on September 11, 2011, in commemoration of 9/11’s 10-year anniversary.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Outgoing Sen. Bob Bennett said he’s never run into people prejudiced against his religion in Washington, though his father did. Bennett headlined a meeting of the Utah State Society today and spoke about his experiences as a member of the LDS Church in Congress. He said his father, Wallace Bennett, a four-term senator, faced “some lingering traces of resentment or resistance to Mormonism” when he entered office in 1951, including from President Harry Truman. Bennett said people have asked him if he’s run into the same sentiment and he says, “no”. Sen. Orrin Hatch also made an appearance at the event today and said that a few off-color comments have been made during presidential campaigns but most people respect the LDS religion in the nation’s capital.

(FARMINGTON, N.M.)-KRQE-TV, Channel 13 in Albuquerque, N.M. reports that the company running the coal-fired Four Corners Power plant near Farmington, N.M. is offering no guarantees about its future.

Last week, Arizona Public Service Co. announced plans last week to close three of the plant’s generating and seek majority ownership of the remaining two units from Southern California Edison.

The utility’s vice president for fossil operations, David Hansen, could not give Farmington city councilors any guarantees about the two remaining units at the northwestern New Mexico plant Tuesday.

Hansen says the potential still exists for them to be shut down.

The plant’s future rests on the utility reaching an agreement with the Navajo Nation to extend a lease on the reservation as well as on regulatory approval of a deal for the company to buy the stake in the remaining two units.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – An LDS missionary from Grantsville is recovering after being stabbed in a robbery attempt Sunday in Huacho, Peru. LDS Church Spokesman Scott Trotter said that Elder Benjamin Cole was stabbed by an assailant while serving in the Peru Lima West Mission. He said the stabbing was random and Cole was taken to a local hospital to repair the wound and is expected to fully recover. Cole’s father, Ed Cole, told the Tooele Transcript that a small group of young men demanded money from his son and his companion Sunday afternoon but one of the group stabbed Cole in the back before the missionaries could give them any money.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Although they seem reticent to do so, Utah Republicans appear resigned to accepting $101 million in federal assistance for cash-strapped public schools in Utah during their special session Wednesday.

Newly elected House speaker-elect Becky Lockhart of Provo said Congress is undermining the state’s sovereignty and the Legislature’s authority by forcing states to take the money.

Should lawmakers or Utah Governor Gary Herbert decline, the funding will go straight to school districts.

The federal funds are part of a $10 billion package approved by Congress earlier this year designed to help cash-strapped states avoid having to lay off teachers.

Nevertheless, there are strings attached, such as money having to be spent to preserve jobs and states having to sustain certain funding levels, creating consternation among lawmakers.

While lawmakers dislike the federal government’s intervention in Utah matters, if Utah lawmakers don’t vote to approve money Wednesday, they will be entirely cut out of the decision-making process, said Orem Senator Margaret Dayton.

Outgoing House Speaker Dave Clark of Santa Clara says this undermines the Legislature’s budget authority but he plans to “hold his note” and vote for it.

Legislative leaders and Utah Governor Gary Herbert expect to use roughly half the funds to make up for lower-than-expected income tax collections and send the remainder to school districts based on a formula.

Some districts, such as the Millard School District, plan to restore school days that were shaved from the calendar to cut costs.

Herriman Representative Carl Wimmer says Utah should file a lawsuit but separate legal analyses conducted by the Utah Attorney General’s Office and the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel conclude that a legal challenge would be futile.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Utah State Tax Commission appointed Barry Conover to serve as interim executive director of the agency Tuesday.

The 63-year-old Conover has served as deputy executive director for 23 years and he fills the position left vacant following the death of Rodney Marrelli.

The appointment is up to three months.

Conovoer holds a bachelor’s of science degree in Sociology from Brigham Young University and has served in numerous leadership positions with the commission since 1973.

(MILFORD)-The second phase of a wind project north of Milford will officially get underway Wednesday with officials celebrating an expansion adding 68 wind turbine generators.

Representatives of Boston-based First Wind will be joined by Milford Mayor Bryan Sherwood, local business operators and Millard County Commission Chairman Daron Smith will all be on hand for the ceremony.

The first phase of the project began two years ago and became operational in November 2009.

The project provides wind-generated electricity to Los Angeles residents via an 88-mile transmission line connecting it to the Intermountain Power Project northeast of Delta.

Company spokesman John Lamontagne said the second phase, which will provide power to southern California through another service provider, involves the installation of turbines that are roughly 389 feet tall.

Lamontagne hopes the second phase of the project will be completed by next summer.

First Wind and Milford City have developed a solid relationship as during Milford’s Independence Day celebration last year, First Wind purchased the fireworks and paid for them to be professionally lit, something Sherwood says the city could not have done in a languishing economy.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Fred Riley, a 30-year veteran with LDS Family Services will be honored for his efforts Thursday at a special gala in Washington D.C.

Riley and two others will be inducted into the National Council for Adoption Hall of Fame and they join a distinguished list of adoption advocates who have worked diligently to help children find loving, permanent families.

Riley, the project manager for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ Humanitarian Services, has served as the commissioner for family services for 12 years and on the NCFA board for 12 years.

Riley says he’s grateful to receive the recognition.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah District 9 Representative Neil Hansen has told KTVX-TV, Channel 4 in Salt Lake City he voted against the lobbyist disclosure bill which features loopholes which do not require state legislators to disclose private functions, such as the steak dinner that only legislators and lobbyists were invited to earlier this year.

The Ogden-based Hansen says that the steak dinner, which received prominence due to ABC4’s reporting, was the result of a bad piece of legislation that is not in Utah’s best interests.

The loophole in question says events such as the steak dinner do not have to be reported so long as the senate president or house speaker approves it.

Hansen said that cases like these are exactly why the public needs to stay informed and active.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Two of Utah’s greatest basketball players were inducted into the state’s Sports Hall of Fame Tuesday evening at EnergySolutions Arena.

The honorees are Mark Eaton and Tom Chambers, each of which shared their prodigious skills on the hardwood with Utah sports fans.

Eaton, a longtime standout for the Utah Jazz who led the NBA in blocked shots on four occasions, set the single-season record for blocked shots with 456 swats in the 1984-85 season.

Eaton, who matriculated at UCLA, currently lives in Park City.

Chambers, who is best known for his days with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, originally starred at the University of Utah, where he is the 8th leading scorer in the school’s storied mens’ basketball history.

Through 16 NBA seasons, where he played for the then-San Diego Clippers, the then-Seattle SuperSonics, the Suns, the Jazz, the then-Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers, Chambers amassed 20,049 points and 6,703 rebounds, he received several prestigious honors as he was named to the NBA All-Star team four times and received All-Star game MVP honors in 1997.

Chambers is currently an analyst for Fox Sports Net Arizona’s coverage of Suns broadcasts along with former KSL-TV sportscaster Brad Steinke.

Other inductees included former NCAA track and field heptathlon national champion at Brigham Young University, Tiffany Lott-Hogan, longtime college football coach Dave Kragthorpe, best known for his days at Utah State University and rodeo star Lance Robinson.

(OMAHA, Neb.)-A western Nebraska bank has been reinstated as a defendant in a federal lawsuit filed by three former executives of a Scottsdale, Neb. bank who now live in Utah.

Allen Patch, Rachel Fait and Rick Covello, were investigated after more than 80 vehicles disappeared from Legacy Auto Group in March 2009 and most later turned up in other states.

They faced dozens of charges of theft and title fraud, which were later dropped.

The trio sued Platte Valley Bank and Toyota’s financing committees, saying they gave false information to authorities that indicated they, not the dealership, owned the vehicles.

The federal judge dismissed the bank from the case earlier this month, but later reinstated it.

The bank continues to seek its dismissal from the case.

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-The Coconino County (Ariz.) Attorney has decided not to seek the death penalty against the man accused of killing a Kane County Sheriff’s office deputy near Fredonia, Ariz.

The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports the northern Arizona judge hearing the case ordered 23-year-old Scott Curley to undergo a mental health evaluation.

Curley’s attorney filed a motion to have him evaluated under Arizona rules in order to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.

Curley is accused of premeditated first-degree murder, aggravated assault on a police officer, aggravated assault on a citizen, burglary and theft stemming from events on August 26 in and around Fredonia.

Curley is accused of shooting the 41-year-old Brian Harris with a high-powered rifle.

(FILLMORE) – Millard County Commissioners have finally approved a Conditional Use Permit for a Natural or Manufactured Gas Storage and Distribution Facility north of Delta. Commissioners approved the CUP at a meeting earlier this month on an application submitted by Magnum Gas Storage, LLC to store natural gas in salt caverns located south and east of the IPP Power Plant at the intersection of Brush Wellman Highway and Jones Road. At a previous meeting, Commissioners approved a Right-Of-Way application to construct a pipeline to transport the natural gas.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City officials have adopted a maximum height requirement for accessory buildings on building lots within the city limits. At a special council meeting held Tuesday night, councilmembers unanimously voted to approve changes in the ordinance. City Building Inspector Paul Hinrichs said the council decided to adopt changes in the ordinance after more than a year of discussions. Hinrichs said that the maximum height for all garages and other accessory buildings would be 22 feet and the maximum eave height would not exceed 16 feet. Also included in the ordinance is a maximum of one attached and one detached garage on any private property in the city and any wall of a garage to not exceed 10 feet and a minimum 3-foot setback from all property lines. In addition, the ordinance states that the total square footage of any detached garage and all other accessory buildings can’t be greater than 25% of the area of the rear yard. Changes in the ordinance went back and forth between the city and Planning Commission for several months before the final ordinance was passed.

(FT. GREEN) – An Ephraim woman escaped injury after crashing through a fence Monday morning on SR-132. A UHP report said 19-year old Ashley Jorgensen was traveling westbound in a 1999 Toyota 4-Runner, when she hydroplaned on wet roads and crashed off the highway into a fence. The report said that Jorgensen was wearing her seatbelt and was not injured in the 7:30am accident but she was cited for traveling too fast for conditions.

(CEDAR CITY) – The Utah Bureau of Land Management will host three public scoping meetings to kick off the preparation of the Cedar City Field Office Resource Management Plan. Field Manager Gina Ginouves says the new plan will include the use of roads, trails and access areas on public lands. The new RMP will replace the existing land use plans for the Cedar City Field Office, which includes the Cedar, Beaver, Garfield and Antimony RMP of 1986 and the Pinyon Management Framework Plan of 1983. Scoping meetings will be held in Cedar City on Dec. 7, in Beaver on Dec. 8 and in Salt Lake City on Dec. 9. The public is invited to attend and offer comment.

(CASTLE DALE) – A pair of Emery County ranchers lost their grazing allotment due to the expansion of a landfill but gained it back through a grant awarded through the state. Ross and Wayne Wilberg had a grazing allotment on BLM land but lost it when Emery County expanded their landfill in the allotment area. County officials said the San Rafael Conservation District stepped in and provided $15,000 in funds to help manage the Wilberg Grazing Allotment Landfill Mitigation Project that would pipe water to an upper-level grazing area, so that the Wilberg’s wouldn’t lose necessary water for their livestock.

(WASHINGTON)-Senate Republicans appear poised to at least temporarily ban earmarks Tuesday, a move supported by Utah Senator Orrin Hatch and Utah Senator-elect Mike Lee.

Lee, who called for an earmark moratorium throughout his campaign, pressed his Republican colleagues to make the normally private caucus vote public.

It will only take half of the 47 Republicans to pass the two-year earmark moratorium which would ban lawmakers from carving out funding for projects benefiting organizations in their home state.

The resolution is nonbinding and would not impact the majority Democrats.

House Republicans supported their own earmark moratorium last year and are expected to do so again when they take control of the House.

Hatch, who has requested and received earmarks for years, also announced his support for the ban.

Hatch also requested 85 earmarks in fiscal 2010 with a combined $127 million and has asked for dozens of earmarks for fiscal 2011 as well, though Congress has yet to vote on the budget bills.

Hatch’s seat is up for reelection in 2012 and while he said he’ll vote for the earmark ban, he did not back away from his justification for previous requests saying it’s his obligation as a senator to get hard-earned tax dollars back to the citizens who have paid them.

(WASHINGTON)-Conservative lawmakers are taking a stand against any federal aid for cash-strapped public schools on the eve of a special session designed to allocate $101 million in federal assistance.

Orem Senator Margaret Dayton says legislators don’t want the federal government involved in the state’s education decisions.

However, Congress wrote the law in such a way that if the Legislature and governor don’t accept the federal dollars, the money would be sent directly to Utah school districts, which would cut the Legislature entirely out of the decision-making process, Dayton said.

The $101 million in federal aid is part of a $10 billion package passed by Congress earlier this year, aimed at helping schools avoid laying off teachers.

Reportedly, legislative leaders and Utah Governor Gary Herbert expect to use about half the money to cover a budget shortfall created by tax collections that have been lower than projected.

The rest is slated to be sent to various school districts, based on a formula.

Separate legal analyses by the Utah Attorney General’s office and the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, however, conclude that any legal challenges, which have been suggested, would be futile.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-An e-mail stating recipients will have their information released to telemarketers unless they register their cell phones with the Federal Trade Commission is illegitimate, the Utah Department of Commerce announced Monday.

The e-mail tells people to register their numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry this month.

If they don’t, the e-mail states, they will receive an onslaught of solicitations.

Utah officials say the e-mail has been around for a while and is not factual.

According to the FTC, there is no deadline to submit a number to the registry.

The Utah Department of Commerce encourages Utahns to register their phone numbers by logging on to www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222.

(PROVO)-A conference at Brigham Young University this week will address the question that has fueled the political tea party movement and sparked myriad debates.

The issue at hand is whether the United States’ Constitution is at risk and will entail a three-day conference, hosted by BYU’s Tocqueville Project with funding from the John Adams Center for the Study of Faith, Philosophy and Public Affairs and the Sutherland Institute.

The conference, slated for Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., will also feature numerous scholars, such as Peter Lawler and Rogers Smith.

Topics for discussion will include Religion, American Constitutionalism and Populism, among others.

The concluding lecture will be given by Smith, a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania on “The Constitutional Philosophy of Barack Obama.”

For more information, please visit www.johnadamscenter.com/news.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Monday, an Oklahoma company said it will appeal a $4.3 million jury to a Utah man whose 2-year-old daughter died in a fire ignited when he poured gasoline from a plastic container into a wood stove in his mobile home.

Miami, Okla.-based BlitzUSA, which manufactured the container, told the Associated Press that evidence at the federal trial in Salt Lake City showed David Calder recklessly poured or splashed gasoline onto live embers in the wood stove.

The “misuse of gasoline” caused the trailer fire, not any problem with the container, asserted Blitz’ general counsel James R. King.

Calder’s attorney, Don Winder, said the jury made the right decision and that a 5-cent piece of wire mesh inside the gas spout would have blocked flames and kept the container from exploding.

The company insists its gas container didn’t explode in the December 2005 fire and Calder had enough time to get his daughter out of the trailer.

During an interview, Calder said his clothes immediately caught fire and rolled in the dirt before trying to rescue his daughter, saying flames from the wood stove followed vapors back inside the gas container.

Calder, a biomedical technician at the University of Utah, said Blitz doesn’t want to admit their cans blow up.

The jury found Blitz to be at 70 percent fault for the fire and Calder 30 percent culpable for the flames.

It was found that 30 percent of Calder’s body was burned while he spent two months in the University of Utah’s hospital burn unit.

A son has also suffered some burn injuries and his daughter, Hailey Parish, was engulfed by flames and died. Another son outside the trailer was hurt.

The blaze occurred at a remote Uintah County trailer when Calder was struggling to light a stove fire with wet wood.

His lawyer said Calder was unaware the stove contained any burning embers when Calder remembered pouring a “teeny bit” of gasoline on the wood, causing the can to explode.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Monday, the Utah Court of Appeals said it will consider a petition to block polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs’ extradition to Texas to face charges of sexual assault and bigamy.

The ruling came only hours after a state judge rejected the request, saying he had no authority to decide the issue or to overrule the Utah governor’s decision to sign an extradition agreement with Texas.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed the agreement with Texas Governor Rick Parry in August.

Beforehand, Jeffs had rejected the offer to sign papers voluntarily, according to terms of his extradition.

Now, it rests in the hands of the appeals court to determine whether or not Jeffs should be allowed to stay in Utah to resolve a long-running pending criminal case before being sent to Texas.

An e-mail sent to the Utah Attorney General’s Office, which has until Wednesday to file its reply with the court, was not immediately returned Monday.

The 54-year-old Jeffs remains incarcerated at the Utah State Prison, 50 months after his arrest, prosecution and conviction on two charges of rape as an accomplice for his role in the 2001 marriage of an underage follower, then 14, to her 19-year-old cousin.

In district court Monday, Judge Terry L. Christiansen in Salt Lake City sided with the Utah Attorney General’s office, who argued the case could still move forward if Jeffs were in Texas.

Texas authorities have charged Jeffs with bigamy, aggravated sexual assault and assault charges for alleged incidents involving underage girls at a church ranch near Eldorado, Texas.

(SIGURD) – A Monroe woman was injured in a rollover on SR-118 over the weekend. According to a UHP report, 26-year old Caitlin Glover was traveling northbound Saturday morning near Sigurd in a 1996 Mitsubishi Lancer, when she drifted off the right shoulder of the road, overcorrected and rolled onto her side at about 11am. The report said Glover sustained neck injuries but was not transported to the hospital. A two-year old child was in a car seat and was not injured.

(WASHINGTON)-Springboarding off of President Barack Obama’s offer to negotiate with Republicans earlier this month to extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch tried to make a deal last week.

As the politician most likely to take the top Republican seat on the Senate Finance Committee, Hatch said he would be open to a temporary extension of all the cuts for a couple of years, prompting a new round of news stories that compromise was in the air.

Thursday, a White House senior adviser signaled the administration would support a two-to-three-year extension, turning from a previous position that it would only back a renewal for middle-income tax cuts.

While he won’t be chairman, Hatch said he will wield power to help halt Democratic legislation, force compromise and emerge as a leading voice on the major battles awaiting the committee.

Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, the outgoing ranking member, calls the panel the “quality of life committee,” as it affects taxes, health care and Social Security.

He says Hatch is well-equipped for the job of championing Republican principles in all those areas.

(BRIAN HEAD)-Skiers and revelers at Brian Head will be trying to please the Norse snow god Monday evening.

The festivities are slated for 6:00 p.m. at the Brian Head Fire Station and will include a bonfire in commemoration of Ullr, a pagan god whom many skiers acknowledge as the god of snow and some apres ski activities.

Those attending are encouraged to bring old ski equipment to feed the sacrificial flames.

The ceremony will also include fireworks and a toast with peppermint schnapps.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Fueled by the controversy over the $13 million the Utah Department of Transportation paid out to a losing bidder without telling state officials, GOP lawmakers are already gearing up to put a stop to any similar settlements.

At least two bills are being drafted for the 2011 Legislature that would end UDOT’s long-standing exemption from a state law requiring the governor and lawmakers to sign off on settlement payouts.

UDOT quietly negotiated the $13 million settlement at the beginning of the year with one of the losing bidders in the $1.7 billion CORE project to reconstruct Interstate 15 through Utah County.

The settlement came as a surprise to legislative leaders as well as to Governor Gary Herbert who is already being questioned about accepting tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from members of the winning bid team.

Orem Senator John Valentine said UDOT needs to be limited on how much money can be paid out to settle contract disputes without the approval of state officials.

Valentine said that while UDOT did nothing wrong, their actions give a bad vibe.

State law requires other government agencies to get the governor’s OK for settlements of $500,000 or more and lawmakers get involved when the amount is at least $1 million.

Valentine said he’s not sure at what point UDOT should have come to state officials before cutting settlement checks, but it will be significantly lower than $13 million.

Herbert responded quickly to news of the settlement, ordering a state audit of UDOT and, by executive order, requiring the agency to bring any settlement of more than $100,000 to him for approval.

Thus far, two settlements of “well under $750,000” each in eminent domain cases have come to the governor, his spokeswoman Angie Welling said.

Herbert and others have pointed out that UDOT made the decision to settle to avoid a lawsuit that would have delayed the state’s most costly road project.

(ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo.)-Opponents of a $3 billion plan to pipe water from southwest Wyoming to Colorado have now lined up opponents in three states.

It appears that opposition is mounting to the proposal to tap water from the Green River and Flaming Gorge Reservoir it feeds, which helps supply Colorado’s populous Front Range.

The Rock Springs Rocket-Miner reports that local officials in Utah, and environmental groups in Colorado, have joined opposition in southwest Wyoming.

Concerns include fears that taking water from the river or Flaming Gorge Reservoir would hurt tourism and recreation.

The Army Corps of Engineers says a study of the pipeline plan won’t be ready until 2016.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A man accused of trying to take a tool with multiple knife blades on a flight leaving Salt Lake City is due back in federal court December 2.

The suspect, Cardon Ellis, was freed Friday after an initial court appearance in Salt Lake City.

A felony complaint alleges Ellis boasted to a traveler in the security line at the Salt Lake City airport Wednesday that he could get the tool past the checkpoint.

The complaint also asserts Ellis showed the other traveler the tool after smuggling it.

Ellis was slated to fly Southwest Flight 704 to Chicago and New York City.

He faces a charge of carrying a weapon on an aircraft.

Ellis’ lawyer, Lance Starr, said he was retained late Thursday and didn’t know any details of the case.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A Utah judge is scheduled to hear arguments on a petition from polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs to quash an extradition agreement signed by the governors of Utah and Texas Monday.

Jeffs is wanted in Texas on charges of bigamy, aggravated sexual assault and assault charges allegedly involving underage girls at a church ranch near Eldorado, Texas.

The charges stem from information gleaned from church and family records seized during a raid on the Yearning For Zion ranch in 2008.

The hearing is slated for this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in 3rd District Court in Salt Lake City before Judge Terry Christiansen.

(RICHFIELD) – The 222nd U.S Military Unit has been notified of full deployment in the spring of 2011. Cody Workman, Commander of Alpha Battery 222nd Field Artillery, says local units recently received word of active mobilization. Workman says additional details will be forthcoming as troops mobilize in the next few months and said he is not able to offer full information. All personnel involved in local units have been given notification of the spring deployment.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Researchers at Oregon State University have released a study on an invasive grass that is expanding its territory and destroying land for cattle and farming in the West. The researchers released their study in the Journal of Arid Environments, saying the Medusa head grass covers two million acres of rangeland in the West and expands that reach by 12% each year. Officials with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food say they’re working hard to get rid of the weed before it affects food prices in the state.

(Manti) Christmas tree permits go on sale today in the Sanpete District, but there are some changes to the way they will be distributed. In the past, permits were sold at each canyon location, but official have decided to discontinue the practice. This year, permits will be sold at the District office in Ephraim Monday through Thursday as well as two Saturdays (November 27th and December 3rd). Permits will also be available at several retail locations. Those include Choice Hardware in Nephi, Beck’s Home Furnishings in Mount Pleasant, and Rasmussen’s Ace in Gunnison. Permits will also be available by mail. Two-thousand permits will be sold in the district, and there is a limit of three permits per person. Permits cost ten dollars each.

(GILBERT, Ariz.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix, reports that groundbreaking for the Gilbert, Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is slated for Saturday.

The Church reported the temple, in the southeastern side of the greater Phoenix area, should be completed in two years.

Plans call for the temple to be built on a 21-acre rectangle near an LDS meetinghouse.

The temple steeple is expected to rise about 180 feet in the air, making it Gilbert’s tallest building.

The Church currently has 133 temples in operation throughout the world and the temple will be Arizona’s fourth.

Maricopa County will soon have three temples, as there is a temple in Mesa, Ariz. and one is slated for the north Phoenix area, near Camelback Mountain.

Previously, the proposed Phoenix Temple has run up against opposition from neighbors who have voiced concerns about the structure blocking their views of the mountain.

(PAGE, Ariz.)-A 7-year-old Page, Ariz. boy was struck and killed by a car early Wednesday night while riding a skateboard across Lake Powell Boulevard in a crosswalk, authorities reported Thursday according to the Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz.

Page Police said the police and fire departments were dispatched just before 6:00 p.m. Wednesday to an accident involving a vehicle and pedestrian in the 400 block of Lake Powell Boulevard, near Desert View Elementary School.

Upon their arrival at the scene, an officer initiated CPR on the victim near the crosswalk while EMS personnel arrived and transported the boy to Page Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Page Fire Chief, Larry Clark, said the boy sustained severe head injuries.

Preliminary investigations revealed the 34-year-old female driver of a 2009 Buick was traveling eastbound in the inside lane.

The victim was crossing from the Desert View side of the road and struck near the tennis courts.

Clark said the boy was with two siblings while a sister was later transported to the hospital for shock.

A police news release said the Coconino County (Ariz.) Medical Examiner’s office responded and will conduct an autopsy as part of its investigation as to cause of death.

The Page Police Department is continuing to investigate the accident.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Senator Howard Stephenson of Draper, the co-chair of the Utah Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee plans to propose a bill this upcoming Legislative session which would remove certain protections from teachers when they perform poorly.

Stephenson hopes to discuss this proposal at an Education Interim Committee meeting next Wednesday.

Currently, Utah teachers are on provisional status for their first three to five years in the classroom, meaning they can be fired at the end of the school year for any reason without explanation.

After the three to five years, administrators decide whether to let them go or grant them career status, meaning they can only be fired only after a much more extensive process.

Stephenson is still exploring options and working to draft the bill while saying the basic idea would be to make it possible for teachers to lose career status if they consistently fail to produce over time.

John Balden, the president of the American Federation of Teachers Utah, which boasts about 1,000 members, said the bill sounds well-intentioned but perhaps a little misguided.

He said other teachers don’t want to see bad teachers in the classroom either.

Judi Clark, the executive director of Parents For Choice in Education said her group is excited about any legislation that places emphasis on improving education for Utah’s children.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Bishop H. David Burton of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and Dr. Anne Osborn Poelman, a professor and presidential endowed chair of radiology at the University of Utah were selected as honorees at Thursday’s Friends For Sight: People of Vision Awards Dinner.

Both honorees lay claim to numerous accomplishments and successes in both their personal and professional lives.

At the fundraiser, both spoke about service, family, faith and relationships as the center point of humanity’s purpose in life.

Bishop Burton was honored for his efforts in revitalizing Salt Lake City, his humanitarian efforts and overall community service.

Poelman was honored for her service, research and contributions to the medical community.

Bishop Burton cited how his grandmother had often called him “a sight for sore eyes,” and cited the Bible to remind the audience that when we serve others, we are doing the same for Christ.

Since 1982, this organization has honored both a man and woman in the community, selected by the organization’s board, to receive the award.

The criteria are simple as the nominees must be visionary leaders in the community.

For more information on the organization, please visit www.friendsforsight.org.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The 2nd District Judicial Nominating Commission will meet next week to select candidates to fill a vacancy created by the death of Judge Kathleen Nelson.

The meeting will occur at the Davis County Courthouse in Farmington.

Part of the meeting is designated for public comments about issues facing the judiciary and ways to improve it.

The commission does not accept testimony on individual applicants.

Following the public hearing, the meeting will be closed to allow commission members to select candidates whose names will then be forwarded to Utah Governor Gary Herbert.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is making what may be its strongest statement yet on immigration.

The Church is joining Utah political and business leaders who signed a compact for more moderation and compassion on this issue Thursday.

Attending the compact signing were Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and former governor Olene Walker, among other dignitaries.

Ultimately, everyone agreed that the federal government is responsible for dealing with the immigration issue and, if possible, to do it compassionately.

The Church issued a statement saying that Christ taught the meaning of “neighbor,” includes all of God’s children in all places at all times.

Legislators, such as Orem’s Stephen Sandstrom were not at the meeting and realize they have a tall order as apparently both the Church and compact signers oppose them.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Former Utah Governor Olene Walker is taking a stand for public education and wants Utahns to worry as much as she is about the path the system is on.

Walker is calling for current changes in the face of serious funding challenges, and she knows all too well she’s facing an uphill battle.

Her comments come in response to the Utah Foundation’s October report concerning a troubling dip in student test scores, lean education budgets and soaring demand on teachers.

As an ex-lawmaker and governor, Walker says she witnessed politics in the process.

Walker and members of the 4-year group, Citizens For Education Excellence are looking for what she calls “reasonable solutions” in motivating taxpayers to get involved.

Nevertheless, Walker is reticent to raise taxes and is talking about giving local districts more authority, reforming tax policy and increasing efficiency in state government.

The reality is education competes with soaring Medicaid, transportation and prison costs while Walker’s dream is to raise the level of per-pupil funding above last in the nation.

Walker wonders if what she’s doing is too optimistic, but deep down she knows her goals are attainable.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utahns commemorated veterans throughout the state Thursday at a full-dress military ceremony at the University of Utah.

The university paid tribute to 11 veterans during Thursday’s full-dress military ceremony and they were each awarded a medallion.

Among the group of those honored were survivors of bombing missions in such places as Nagasaki, Poland and Austria.

However, honoree Bill Rockhill, who served as a Navy SEAL in Vietnam, said the true heroes are those who came back with flags on their boxes and that all of those honored were just war survivors.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The National Tax-Limitation Committee has honored Sen. Orrin Hatch for his votes to reduce spending, cut taxes and shrink the size of government. In recognizing Hatch, NTLC President Lewis Uhler lauded the senator for his legislative achievements and presented him with its 111th Congress Tax Fighter Award. Uhler also said that Hatch has led the battle on behalf of taxpayers to stop the passage of ObamaCare and cap-and-trade legislation, to make the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent, to eliminate the death tax, to kill the Alternative Minimum Tax, to provide incentives for private savings, investment and job creation and to control the growth of federal spending. Hatch said of all the honors one could receive, this is especially gratifying to him because it symbolizes and recognizes his commitment to bring fiscal sanity back to Washington.

(EPHRAIM) – The student body president of Snow College has been invited to conference in Moscow, Russia as a representative of the college and among 15 collegiate representatives of the United States. President Tucker Smith will leave Friday for the conference and is excited to have been selected. Smith, along with student body president’s from Ivy League colleges across the country, have been invited from Russia’s Federal Agency on Youth Affairs, to learn from each other on how each other’s student governments are organized and run. He said other colleges attending include representatives from Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown, M-I-T and many other prestigious colleges. Smith first came to Snow College Ephraim in 2006 and was asked to be on the enrollment team and served an LDS mission. Upon his return in 2009, he ran for student body president and won. Smith will return on Nov. 20.

(FARMINGTON, N.M.)-A judge has sentenced a man to 17 years in prison after he was convicted of stealing nearly $250,000 in oil field equipment in northwestern New Mexico, according to KRQE-TV Channel 13 in Albuquerque, N.M.

New Mexico State District Judge Sandra Price sentenced 30-year-old Justin Easley after he pleaded guilty in August to felony charges of receiving or disposing of stolen property and larceny over $20,000 in two separate cases.

Six other charges were dismissed under the plea agreement.

San Juan County (N.M.) Sheriff’s Department detective Mike Sindelar, who investigates rural crimes, says he hopes the sentence sends a message.

(ST. GEORGE)-Dixie State College students will have the opportunity to raise money and awareness for the homeless by sleeping outdoors in the Cardboard Campout Friday evening.

In light of Poverty Awareness week at the college, students are encouraged to participate by sleeping in cardboard boxes to simulate being homeless for the night.

The activity costs $5 and proceeds will be donated to local food bank Dixie Care & Share.

Student Government committee member Alexis Barrett said students need to bring their own boxes, sleeping gear and warm clothes and duct tape which may be necessary to make cardboard boxes into shelters.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah Senator Orrin Hatch is signing onto a “friend of the court” brief supporting a states-led lawsuit against portions of the health reform law.

In particular, Hatch opposes a requirement that people buy insurance or face a fine starting in 2014.

Hatch is joining the brief led by Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky which will soon be filed in support of the 20-state federal lawsuit against what is called the individual mandate.

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is actively involved in the suit and the next hearings are scheduled for December.

Hatch called the mandate “unconstitutional” during the health reform debate and, since its passage, has filed separate legislation that would strip the requirement from the law.

Mandate supporters say that without such a rule, insurance companies wouldn’t be able to afford stopping unpopular practices, such as denying people coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

(RICHFIELD) – A Koosharem man was injured on I-70 north of Richfield Wednesday morning after sliding off snow-covered roads. According to a UHP report, 19-year old John Richhart was traveling westbound in a 1998 Chevy pickup, when he lost control on slick roads, crashed through a fence and rolled on his top at about 9:30am. The report said that Richhart was wearing his seatbelt and was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with minor head injuries.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s 10-year strategic energy plan lacks specific goals and is too dependent on fossil fuels, several Utahns told the Governor’s Energy Task Force Wednesday.

About 100 people attended the final hearing on the Utah Energy Initiative, ending a public process that included feedback-gathering trips to Price, Cedar City and Vernal the last few months.

Joe Andrade, a professor of bioengineering at the University of Utah, praised the task force for its work on the plan, but said recommendations in the draft document are too general and lack plans for implementation.

Andrade was also one of several speakers who noted a continued dependence on fossil fuels in the document.

Andrade said he would love to see this trend reversed while Brian Moench, president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, said the draft document only includes the phrase, “public health,” once and only then, when quoting from the Clean Air act.

Environmental degradation and air pollution reportedly have more influence on the public than any single issue, including smoking, Moench said.

Moench said the group submitted an “extensive document” to the task force regarding respective energy sources’ impact on public health although none of this was included in the draft document.

Ted Wilson, the chairman of the Governor’s Energy Task Force, said information from Utah Physicians For a Healthy Environment would be considered as work on the final document continues.

Wilson said public input from Wednesday’s hearing at the State Capitol, as well as online comments and those from previous hearings, will be taken into account as the task force makes revisions and prepares to sit down with Governor Herbert later this month.

The task force hopes to have a final document completed by mid-December.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah Governor Gary Herbert has nominated Assistant Utah Attorney General Julie Lund as a juvenile court judge in the 3rd Judicial District.

Lund, the chief of the Child Protection Division for the Utah Attorney General’s Office, is also a member of the Children’s Justice Center Advisory Board.

Lund earned her law degree from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law and a bachelor of arts from the University of Colorado.

Lund has been nominated to replace Judge Sharon P. McCully, who retired in September.

The 3rd Judicial District serves Salt Lake, Summit and Tooele counties.

The nomination is subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City has adopted an ordinance to enact the recreation tax that voters overwhelmingly approved during the mid-term elections. The tax is a tenth of a one-percent sales tax to go towards recreation, zoological, botanical and cultural purposes in the city. Registered voters favored the tax increase by more than 70% of the vote. Parks and Recreation Director Paul Foster said the tax amounts to about a dime for every $100 spent. Richfield City Manager Mike Langston said the tax will go into full effect by April 1, 2011 and would provide between $180,000 and $200,000 in additional funds for recreation activities and equipment in the city. Also at the city council meeting this week, councilmembers approved a drive-through window for the pharmacy at the Fresh Market grocery store in Richfield. It will be located on the northeast corner of the building.

(RICHFIELD) – A major transportation company has agreed to terminate their lease agreement with Richfield City. At the City Council meeting this week, councilmembers approved a Lease Termination Agreement with FedEx. City Manager Mike Langston said the agreement includes a $200,000 payoff to the city and nearly $500,000 in improvements the company made at the Richfield Business Park. Langston said the payoff and improvements are good for the city because the deal will help to attract other businesses to the Park. He said FedEx officials told him that the company is closing their Richfield facility and other locations around the country because of the bad economy.

(SAN DIEGO)-Six tugboats pulled a stricken cruise ship into San Diego Bay early Thursday, bringing the nearly 4,500 passengers and crew closer to freedom after three days of limited food, smelly toilets and dark cabins.

Escorted by Coast Guard cutters, the nearly 1,000-foot Carnival Splendor reached the harbor mouth shortly before 7:30 a.m. PST, Coast Guard Petty Officer Rachel Polish said.

It slowly moved through the winding channel and was expected to dock around 10:00 a.m. PST, but it will be at least another two hours after that before the first passengers and crew can disembark, said Port of San Diego spokesman Ron Powell.

Polish said docking will be tricky because the vessel has no propulsion and cannot steer.

Along the harbor, tourists, joggers and fishermen stopped to snap photos as the ship crept into port.

Family members anxiously awaited the cruise liner that left Long Beach, Calif. Sunday for a seven-day trip to the Mexican Riviera, only to return days earlier without ever having reached the beach.

A fire in the engine room knocked out power Monday morning, leaving passengers with no air conditioning, hot food, hot water or casino.

The swimming pool was off-limits because there was no way to pump chlorine into the water.

Navy helicopters assisted passengers by flying in Spam, Pop Tarts, canned crab meat and other items to help them cope.

Carnival first planned to haul the ship to the Mexican port of Ensenada, not far from a movie studio complex used to film “Titanic,” and bus passengers back to the U.S.

However, the cruise line later decided to go to San Diego, sparing passengers the 50-mile ride to the border while San Diego also offered more transportation and hotel options.

(ST. GEORGE)-Federal investigators say the pilot in a fiery fatal plane crash near Moab in 2008 failed to maintain clearance with the terrain during takeoff, but they haven’t determined why.

The pilot and nine passengers died when the twin-engine, turboprop plane crashed August 22, 2008 about three miles south of the Canyonlands Field Airport.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a report this month that the failure to maintain clearance was the probable cause of the crash.

The Beech A100 King Air was operated under a time-share agreement between Leavitt Group Wings LLC and a dermatology clinic whose employees were on board.

The NTSB findings were first reported by the St. George Spectrum.

(RICHFIELD) – A public hearing was held at the Richfield City Council meeting this week to gain input on revisions to the Land Use Ordinance in the city concerning flag lots and distance between dwellings. At issue is landowners and developers who want to subdivide city lots for commercial or residential purposes. Councilmembers discussed a flag lot, which is a lot developed on the interior of a block, to have a 20-foot access to a public street and have 12-feet of asphalt or concrete the full length of the access. The code revisions also include fire sprinkler installation on all flag lots. The council also approved a subdivision application at 155 West 100 South in Richfield for the construction of a Youth Center at that location.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Planning Commission reluctantly gave final approval on an extraction company’s request for a Conditional Use Permit to operate a rock crushing business on forest land near Sevier. Planners voted 4-2 on the permit at a meeting held last night at the Commission Chambers in Richfield, noting that the company hasn’t been clear on their plans to operate the business. Hugh Matthews, owner of Millennium Construction Materials, Inc., says the Planner’s granting of the permit is the first step in proving to the county that the company is here to stay. Planners approved the permit with several conditions, including size of fuel containers, aesthetics surrounding the property, fire protection and safety plans, water sources and property deeds, along with reclamation policies. The company will eventually provide 50-60 jobs in the county.

(ST. GEORGE)-The 2010 Women of Achievement of the local business and professional women were honored at the group’s annual awards luncheon at the St. George Holiday Inn Tuesday.

Those selected represent a wide array of professional and educational backgrounds.

The winners included Dawn McClain, the public relations and promotions director for KCSG-TV in St. George, KCSG’s Web site and the center for media innovation at Dixie State College and Adidas marketing consultant Michelle Delloso, a three-time All-American infielder for the University of South Carolina’s softball team at Columbia, S.C., among others.

The St. George Chapter of Business and Professional Women is a bipartisan organization fostering the success of working women by providing career advancement resources, work/life strategies and personal and professional connections.

Its mission is to empower working women to achieve their full potential and to partner with employers to build successful workplaces.

(MESQUITE, Nev.)-The 39-year-old Taralee Helsten of Mesquite, Nev. was arrested and charged with furnishing alcohol to minors at her residence Sunday.

Mesquite Police received several complaints of thefts from cars early Sunday November 7 in the Desert Drive neighborhood of Mesquite.

While investigating, an officer went to the Helsten residence and upon arrival, saw several juveniles fleeing out the backdoor.

Police pursued the juveniles and after capture, booked them into the Mesquite Justice Facility.

Officers discovered other male and female youths from both Mesquite and Utah were at the residence.

Six other Mesquite juveniles were charged with possession of marijuana, underage consumption of alcohol and curfew violation.

Two male juveniles from Utah were charged with vehicular burglary, underage consumption of alcohol, possession of marijuana and curfew violation.

One of the Utah juveniles was taken to the Clark County Juvenile Detention Facility in Las Vegas while the other juveniles were released to their parents.

Mesquite Police Department Pubic Affairs Officer Robert W. Everett said Mesquite police, working in tandem with the Hurricane Police Department, questioned Hurricane juveniles who were reportedly at the scene.

Officers recovered a large amount of stolen property taken from cars parked in the neighborhood.

No specifics of stolen items in the car have been released.

Everett said he always exhorts residents to lock vehicles, store valuables in secure locations and notify authorities if anything suspicious is going on in their neighborhood.

(CEDAR CITY)-Water polo will make a splash at Southern Utah University Friday when it hosts the national championship of the Collegiate Water Polo Association.

Blair Bentley, SUU’s swimming coach, called the announcement, “unbelievable.”

SUU President Michael Benson said the water polo championship and the invitation to the Big Sky Conference, which becomes effective in 2012, will boost the university’s profile.

The water polo competitions will feature clubs that won championships in 15 divisions around the country, ranging from UCLA to Yale.

Last year, the Michigan State Spartans captured the water polo national title.

Although these collegiate clubs aren’t sanctioned by the NCAA, the action is still fast and furious.

CWPA spokesman, Ed Haas, said injuries are also common during the matches from association headquarters in Bridgeport, Pa. Tuesday, calling it a combination of swimming, wrestling and soccer.

Haas also said many water polo players go on to become Navy SEALS once their playing days are completed.

Haas said SUU lucked into hosting the event as every year, the championship rotates among 15 divisions and this time around, the Rocky Mountain Division was due to host.

Scheduling conflicts prevented the University of Utah from hosting the championships, so SUU offered its swimming pool for the event.

Future Big Sky Conference rival, Weber State University, is also a division member.

Bentley, who also coaches SUU’s water polo team, said the school has been working to have its team recognized by the association for two years.

The impetus of SUU’s water polo team, which faces top-seeded UCLA Friday, is 19-year-old biology chemistry major Greg Barnes, who says he’s looking forward to facing the Bruins.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Zions Bank Small Business Index for Utah was down slightly in October 2010 to 112.0, from a revised 112.6 in September 2010.

The report, issued Tuesday, also showed that although Utah’s unemployment rate rose to 7.5 percent in October, up from 7.4 percent the previous month, while total employment in the state grew by an estimated 9,000 jobs during the past 12 months.

While total Utah employment grew by 0.8 percent over the past 12 months, the increase compares to a revised gain of 13,500 jobs in the prior year-over-year period, said Zions Bank economic consultant Jeff Thredgold.

The U.S. economy added 151,000 jobs in October, much better than the expectations of a 68,000 job rise, a release stated.

The addition of 159,000 new jobs in private sectors during the month, which was also stronger than expected, was a step in the right direction, Thredgold said.

Meanwhile, job data amassed in August and September, were revised to show the addition of 110,000 more jobs.

The U.S. unemployment rate remained at 9.6 percent in September.

The index measures business conditions from the viewpoint of the Utah small business owner or manager.

A lower index number is associated with less-favorable business conditions for the state’s small businesses.

The index uses 100.0 for calendar year 1997 as its base year and includes revisions to various historical and new forecast components as they become available.

According to Thredgold, more recently fewer job gains have resulted in lesser income creation and weaker retail spending having a negative impact upon Utah’s small businesses, and therefore, the index.

(Manti) The Sanpete County Clerk completed the final canvass of votes from the Mid-Term election and released the final numbers yesterday. There were no changes in any of the races in the county. The only race that was too close to call on election night was the School Board race between Ellen Aste and Jason Maylett. At the end of election night, Aste led Maylett by eight votes. After counting absentee and provisional ballots, the race remained unchanged with Aste winning by the original eight votes.

(PROVO)-Albert Smith, a famed Navajo code talker, who helped the United States win World War II, will speak Thursday evening at Brigham Young University’s Wilkinson Student Center to commemorate Veteran’s Day.

In 1942, the Navajo code talkers were assembled in response to growing frustrations that Japanese intelligence officials were breaking U.S. codes and endangering soldiers.

Subsequent extra-complicated codes quickly became too arduous to code and decipher.

The code talkers began with 29 men, eventually growing to hundreds who were responsible to relay secret messages across the battlefields of World War II.

The code matched Navajo words for animals or objects with similar-looking war accoutrements, such as “turtle” for “tank,” or “potato” for “hand grenade.”

Code talkers also spelled out words by using Navajo words to represent individual letters.

The Navajo code talkers served in areas across the Pacific Ocean from 1942 to 1945 and their code, which was never broken, was lauded for saving countless lives and bringing the war to a close.

Upon returning home, the men were told not to speak of their top-secret missions and only received national praise in 2001 when they were awarded medals of honor.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A new report states average gasoline prices in Utah are back below the national average.

AAA Utah said Tuesday that the average price for a gallon of regular self-serve gasoline in Utah is $2.83.

While this is 20 cents higher than the average price last year, it is also 3 cents lower than the national average of $2.86.

AAA Utah spokeswoman Rolayne Fairclough says gas prices typically drop in the state in the autumn and start to move toward the national average.

Fairclough also says this is the first time since January 25 that Utah motorists have paid less than the national average.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A new green technology company has opened a research and design facility for the development of compressed natural gas along the Wasatch Front.

Alternative Vehicle Solutions will use the new 5,000-square foot facility in Salt Lake City to develop compressed natural gas fuel systems that will be installed in General Motors vans.

The first compressed natural gas van should roll off the assembly line later this month.

The company says it will provide new jobs in addition to bringing in $15 million more into the Utah economy over the course of the next few years.

The company believes this endeavor will reduce carbon dioxide by about 22 percent.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-While Elder Richard G. Scott has been an Apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for 22 years, he likes to spend free time painting pictures.

At LDS-church sponsored Deseret Book’s flagship store in downtown Salt Lake City, Elder Scott was on hand Tuesday evening, sharing his watercolor masterpieces with the public.

Before he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, Elder Scott was a nuclear engineer, but 40 years ago, when visiting friends with his wife, the late Jeanene Scott, he was impressed with how one of them could make “something beautiful” out of watercolors and paper.

Thus, he began taking lessons.

Elder Scott has painted a wide array of objects, ranging from African plains to Brazilian surfers.

Elder Scott’s favorite painting is of his original wife, Jeanene, with the original hanging in his office.

His montage of paintings, the Richard G. Scott Art Exhibit will remain in this Deseret Book location, near Temple Square, through the holiday season.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled an interstate compact can block EnergySolutions Inc. from disposing of low-level radioactive waste from foreign countries in Utah’s West Desert.

Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions had been seeking to import up to 20,000 tons of waste from Italy’s shuttered nuclear power program into the U.S.

After processing in Tennessee, about 1,600 tons would have been disposed of in the company’s disposal type about 70 miles west of Salt Lake City.

However, in July the company abandoned those plans and indicated it would try to help in opening a disposal facility in Italy instead.

EnergySoultions said it would not appeal the ruling, noting that its domestic business will not be affected.

The company’s import application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission drew an unprecedented number of public comments, nearly all of which were in opposition.

It was also opposed by two Republican governors, causing the U.S. House to pass a bill banning the importation of foreign nuclear waste.

The measure has since languished in the Senate.

At issue in the case was Utah’s use of its veto power on the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste as the host state for a disposal facility.

The Utah disposal facility is the only one currently available to 36 states.

EnergySolutions attorneys, including Utah’s U.S. Senator-Elect, Mike Lee, argued that Utah and the compact lacked authority to keep waste out because it was a private facility.

EnergySolutions said the compact could only regulate its designated site in Washington State.

In May 2009, U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart in Salt Lake City agreed with EnergySolutions although the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver reversed this decision Tuesday.

Assistant Utah Attorney General Denise Chancellor said the main difference in the two rulings is that the appeals court didn’t buy EnergySolutions’ argument that the Commerce Clause trumps the law that created regional waste compacts.

The compacts were created by Congress, so no one state would become home to the nation’s radioactive waste.

Vanessa Pierce, the executive director for Utah’s Healthy Environment Alliance called this a huge victory for the state, noting an agreement signed by EnergySolutions and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman which current Governor Gary Herbert’s office says it still considers to be in effect.

(VERNAL) – A Sanpete County man was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison Tuesday for years of sexual abuse of three young girls. Court records showed that 40-year old Scott Gardenheir of Mt. Pleasant pled guilty of aggravated sex abuse of a child, a first-degree felony and one count of forcible sex abuse, a second-degree felony. Documents said that Gardenheir faced more than 60 charges related to sex abuse, lewdness, sodomy and rape involving child victims. Uintah County prosecutors, however, asked a judge to dismiss most of the charges as part of a plea agreement that resolved three cases involving victims who are all related to the former Vernal resident. Defense attorney Marea Doherty told 8th District Judge Clark McClellan that her client is “profoundly sorry” for what he did and has taken full responsibility for his actions but prosecutor Greg Lamb said Gardenheir could have taken responsibility for his crimes two years ago when one of his victims first contacted police.

(MESQUITE, Nev.)-St. George Police arrested the robber of a Mesquite, Nev. bank at a Greyhound bus depot in the city Monday afternoon.

The 33-year-old Maurice Q. Cox of Akron, Ohio was charged with armed robbery of the Nevada State Bank at 350 Sandhill Boulevard in Mesquite Friday afternoon.

Mesquite Police Department Public Information Officer Robert W. Everett said Mesquite Police Detectives identified Cox as the suspect upon reviewing bank surveillance video having had contact with the suspect earlier in the day and promptly issued an arrest warrant.

A manhunt by Mesquite police officers and FBI agents assisted by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department helicopter combed the Mesquite area.

While acting upon leads, Mesquite detectives alerted St. George police that Cox may have been on a Greyhound bus headed north.

St. George police detectives located Cox at the Greyhound bus stop where he was taken into custody without incident.

Cox has been charged with burglary, making a bomb threat and robbery with the use of a deadly weapon.

He is currently in the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane and is expected to be extradited to the Clark County Detention Facility in Las Vegas later this week.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints charged with aggravated arson for allegedly setting fire to two LDS meetinghouses made his first appearance in 3rd District Court Monday.

Judge Sandra Peuler declared 26-year-old Patrick Adam Ehat indigent and appointed a public defender to represent him.

She set his next court date for November 16 before Judge Paul Maughan.

Ehat, who believes the Church lied to him, is charged with two first-degree counts of felony aggravated arson and two counts of burglary, a third-degree felony, for setting church property on fire last month.

Ehat admitted to investigators he broke through windows at the churches, both in South Salt Lake, October 30 and set fire to the meetinghouses after the Church reportedly lied to him, according to church documents.

His specific complaints were not cited in the documents though.

South Salt Lake police said Ehat had injuries consistent with climbing through a broken window.

He is being held in the Salt Lake County Jail in lieu of $500,000.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-When it comes to taxes on food, not all are created equal, according to a lawsuit filed by a state watchdog group.

Last month, the Utah Taxpayers Association, along with the Utah Restaurant Association, sued Utah County, alleging that a 1 percent sales tax on food sold by restaurants unfairly discriminates against restaurants and is thus constitutional.

In a newsletter released last week, the Taxpayers Association used an example of a customer purchasing a breakfast burrito and juice at a fast-food establishment while being charged 1 percent more than if that same purchase had been made at a convenience store.

The suit alleges that under the Equal Protection clauses of both the Utah and U.S. Constitutions, taxing entities must tax similar items the same way, something that is being neglected under the restaurant tax.

The suit stated there is no legally meaningful distinction between prepared food sold by a restaurants or convenience stores.

Utah Taxpayers Association Vice President Royce Van Tassell said that from a tax perspective, there is no difference between the items.

Van Tassell also explained that if the court rules that the existing restaurant tax violates the U.S. and Utah Constitutions, his organization would partner with the Legislature and the counties to craft a fair and equitable tax to replace the lost revenue.

Currently, 28 Utah counties assess the restaurant tax but the suit was only filed against Utah County.

The executive director of the Utah Association of Counties said the tax has been a significant source of revenue since its 1991 inception and losing it would be a major blow to Utahns.

Van Tassell says he hopes the Utah Legislature decides to amend the tax statute and eliminate the unconstitutional elements of the law.

(Ephraim) Snow College has a new Athletic Director. Rob Nielson replaces Kevin White who left the school last summer. Nielson is originally from the Logan area and has worked in the athletic departments of Dixie State College, BYU Hawaii, Utah State, The University of Iowa, and Mount Hood Community College in Oregon. Nielson commented that there are several goals that the department will pursue under his leadership. Those include maintaining the Top of the Mountains Bowl, greater financial independence, and opportunities for students to compete while completing academic requirements. Nielson received his Masters Degree from Utah State University and did some Doctorate work at the University of Iowa. He began his new job at Snow about a week ago.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah Representative Carl Wimmer is seeking to write a revolutionary Constitutional amendment which would make it extremely difficult to raise taxes.

The amendment in question is expected to be fiercely fought once the Legislature reconvenes in January.

Because of 3 percent tax increases, including last year’s on tobacco in the state, the Herriman-based Wimmer is seeking to make it more difficult for taxes to rise.

Currently, all that is required for tax hikes is 50 percent of an elected body to rule in the affirmative.

Nevertheless, Wimmer, citing the Great Recession, says too many Utahns are struggling with taxes in their current state.

Before Wimmer’s proposal can become part of the state’s constitution, it must pass by two thirds of the legislature as well as voters throughout the state.

(WEST VALLEY CITY)-In a revealing interview, the husband of missing Utah mom Susan Powell says his wife is alive but afraid to come home.

Josh Powell and his father, Steve, told the Salt Lake Tribune Susan has a history of mental illness and was “very sexually motivated.”

They allege that perhaps she has run off with another man.

Powell’s family deems such allegations to be ludicrous and that if she were sexually provocative as her husband claims, someone would have known about it by now.

Susan Powell was last seen at her West Valley City home on December 7, 2009.

Josh Powell was named as the only person of interest in her disappearance and he has since left Utah with the couple’s two young boys and now lives with family in Washington State.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A governor’s education commission is completing an action plan to encourage more Utahns to get college degrees.

Tuesday, the Education Excellence Commission is slated to meet to prioritize its goals and make specific recommendations.

The commission wants to see 66 percent of all Utahns aged 20 to 60 to earn a college degree, certification or training by 2020.

The 31-member commission’s work has been endorsed by the state’s Board of Regents, the Board of Education and the Utah College of Applied Technology Board of Trustees.

Among the commission’s suggestions are restoring extended-day kindergarten, supporting a statewide goal of 90 percent proficiency in 3rd grade reading, 6th grade math and the expansion of private industry/public education partnerships.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A Newsweek article published Monday called Utah “The New Economic Zion.”

The article lauds Utah for the ability to bring in new companies, even amid the recession, while economists in the state are pleased, such as Spencer Eccles, executive director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

A couple of years ago, Oracle broke ground on a facility at a West Jordan facility while both Twitter and Adobe are moving in as well.

Eccles praised Utahns for creating an environment which enables companies to grow.

The governor’s office says it is focusing on education, especially on the collegiate level, because an educated workforce is necessary in continually bringing business to Utah.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah’s canyons, long renowned for their beauty, are getting help from a committee working on ways to balance access to resources with preservation.

The committee, Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow, invited public input through three surveys involving about 16,000 people.

The main topics included land use, transportation and recreation.

More than 62 percent of respondents expressed concern about overuse of canyons.

To keep people from overcrowding the canyons, including areas featuring ski resorts, it has been exposed that the Utah Transit Authority’s TRAX system be extended to the mouths of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons and adding a cog rail system up the canyons and gondolas between the resorts.

(RICHFIELD) – A Sevier County Commissioner is being accused by his opponent of voter fraud in the mid-term election this month. Gary Mason said his opponent, Elaine Bonavita, sent a letter to the Lt. Governor’s Office, claiming that the county tampered with electronic voting machines to “flip votes” from her to Mason. Mason said the letter stated that he purposely smeared Bonavita’s reputation and his supporters spread malicious false rumors and slandered her in a local newspaper. The letter also said that Bonavita’s LDS Church files were pilfered and featured in the newspaper’s blog despite a policy against slanderous comments. Bonavita claimed that during the campaign, her political signs were vandalized and dead cats, rats, garbage and even buckets of blood were found on her veranda. Mason said her accusations cannot be substantiated. The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office is investigating possible voter fraud, including incidences of vandalisim. Neither Bonavita nor the Lt. Governor’s Office has commented on the letter.

(TEMPE, Ariz.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports U.S. Airways says it will need 500 flight attendants and pilots next year mostly to cover planned retirements and attrition.

Monday, the Tempe, Ariz.-based U.S. Airways said it will offer the jobs to furloughed employees first and then hire from outside the company.

Most of the new and returning employees will be flying by July.

The plan is to fill 420 flight attendant openings and 80 pilot spots.

After the recall, U.S. Airways will have up to 100 pilots on furlough, but no more flight attendants on the list.

When the process is completed, the airline will have about 4,970 active pilots and 7,300 active flight attendants.

U.S. Airways plans to add seats internationally next year while keeping domestic numbers flat.

(WASHINGTON)-A poll conducted by the Salt Lake Tribune last Tuesday states more Utahns would like to see Senator Orrin Hatch replaced than retained in Washington.

The survey noted that Hatch isn’t up for reelection until 2012 but asked that if Utahns would like to replace him should the vote have occurred last week.

Forty percent of voters opted to give him a seventh term while 48 percent said they were inclined to favor another candidate.

Twelve percent of other voters remained undecided.

The poll, conducted by Washington-based Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

When breaking down other Republican respondents, Hatch’s numbers shot up to 60 percent, but he was only pitted against Jason Chaffetz in the hypothetical situation.

The senator’s numbers have improved slightly since April when only 35 percent of voters appeared willing to vote for him as opposed to 51 percent who sought an infusion of new blood.

However, Hatch has noted the political landscape can rapidly change and he has spent the past few months reaching out to tea party activists in Utah, who can easily tip the vote in his favor.

(GUNNISON)-Friday night after switching the lights on at Gunnison’s Casino Star Theater, former owner Carol Anderson was able to show that the landmark has virtually completed its resurgence.

The building’s reconstructed stucco facade was lit up Friday evening, showcasing what the theater has overcome since 2004 when the building was in need of restoration.

Through six years, the Casino Star Theater Foundation, started by Gunnison Mayor Lori Nay and Snow College professor Diana Spencer, was rife with setbacks but the two never gave up on their goal.

The theater was first built in 1912 by entrepreneur Sims Duggins who had moved to Gunnison from Provo in hopes of capitalizing on the sugar beet industry in the area.

Duggins had a Paris-based company draft the plan for the facade while a Pittsburgh company built the frieze and columns, shipping them to Utah by rail.

Throughout its storied history, the theater has hosted plays, vaudeville acts and movies, among other things.

However, by the turn of the century, the roof was leaking and dust littered the building while the facade also began crumbling.

Later, in 2007, the notorious Top Stop gas leak caused fumes under the theater and as the building closed, it lost its “grandfathered” status under Sanpete County building code standards.

As the restoration process continues, Nay and Spencer want to remove the wall beneath the main arch and take out the ceiling of the lobby to expose the barrel-vault ceiling, among various other renovations.

(PROVO)-The gospel of Jesus Christ should be kept simple and Satan’s enticements should be avoided, said Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ Quorum of Twelve Apostles Sunday evening.

Elder Ballard spoke to young single adults throughout the world at Brigham Young University’s Marriott Center, and used several examples from the Book of Mormon concerning the plainness of Christ’s doctrine.

Elder Ballard also gleaned some of his message from the Church’s innovative “Preach My Gospel,” manual which is the impetus for many of the discussions missionaries have with people they teach throughout the world.

Furthermore, Elder Ballard stated that in 30 years, the amount of stakes in the Church is expected to double to 6,000 and asserted he was speaking to future leaders within those stakes.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A statewide poll conducted by the Salt Lake Tribune shows nearly half of Utahns think homosexual tendencies can be overcome.

The Tribune’s poll found 31 percent disagree about homosexuality being overcome while 25 percent were unsure.

Interestingly, 55 percent of those thinking it can be overcome happened to be Latter-Day Saints while only 20 percent of non-Mormon respondents believed this to be true.

Homosexuality became a “hot topic” issue during last month’s general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when acting president of the Church’s Quorum of Twelve Apostles, President Boyd K. Packer, said homosexual tendencies could be overcome.

The survey of 625 registered voters was conducted October 25-27 by Washington-based Mason-Dixon Polling & Research.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A winter storm, expected to strike northern Utah, is poised to drop roughly two feet of snow in the Wasatch Mountains.

A winter storm advisory went into effect late Sunday while meteorologists say snow levels will drop into the valleys of northern Utah Monday afternoon.

The advisory was issued for the Wasatch Mountains and the western Uintas until midday Tuesday.

Winds could increase to 45 m.p.h. gusts and cold temperatures are expected through much of the week.

Another storm may arise Tuesday evening.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she hopes to be the House minority leader during the next session but Utah Democratic Representative Jim Matheson said she won’t get his vote.

University of Utah political science professor Tim Chambless says this decision and Matheson’s status as a Blue Dog Democrat could work to his benefit politically.

Chambless said that in most cases the House speaker will step down from leadership positions after their party loses, especially as dramatically as last week’s events.

When taking this into account, Matheson shouldn’t have to worry about backlash from party leaders, Chambless said.

Chambless also believes decisions such as Matheson’s are important because the race for 2012 started the day after midterms.

(CEDAR CITY)-Big-game regulators say they may have to reduce the deer hunt in Utah next year to improve the ratio of bucks to does.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources says restrictions could occur in areas where biologists count fewer than 18 bucks for every 100 does.

Wildlife managers generally tolerate a ratio of 15 bucks to 100 does but want to raise that in some areas to ensure enough bucks are around to sustain a population.

Big-game coordinator, Anis Aoude, calls the possible changes the biggest for Utah’s deer hunt in the past 15 years.

The Utah Wildlife Board will conduct a series of public hearings around the state this month on the charges.

The St. George Spectrum reported that UDOWR spokesman Mark Hadley says these restrictions could cut the number of available deer tags in the state to 87,000 next fall as opposed to 94,000 this year.

(CASTLE DALE) – The mid-term elections showed that dozens of incumbents in local races were ousted, including two sheriff’s. Longtime sheriff’s in both Emery and San Juan Counties lost their posts in the Nov. 2 election. Emery County Sheriff Lamar Guymon was on his way to his tenth term after holding the job since 1975. San Juan County Sheriff Mike Lacy lost his bid for a fifth term. Guymon competitor, Greg Funk, won with 67% of the vote, while Democrat Rick Eldredge deafeated Lacy by 61% of the vote. Election totals showed seven counties saw a changing of the guard, not because their incumbent sheriffs didn’t win their bids for re-election, but because they chose not to run.

PHOENIX (AP)-Colter Smith exceeded the 400-yard threshold and tossed for four touchdowns as the Snow Badgers outgunned the Phoenix Bears, 66-40 Saturday afternoon at Hoy Field.

The Badgers amassed almost 600 yards of offense on the day and have won at least a share of the WSFL title, pending on how Arizona Western fares next week against Scottsdale.

Next Saturday, November 13, the Badgers host either Green River or Columbia College, both of Washington at 12:00 p.m. at Stoddard Field @ Badger Stadium.

(RICHFIELD) – A candidate who ran for the Sevier County Commission is accusing the County Clerk’s Office of “vote-flipping” in the mid-term elections. Sheriff-Elect Nate Curtis said Elaine Bonavita, who ran against Gary Mason for the Commission “A” seat, told him she had complained to the Utah Attorney General’s and Lt. Governor’s Offices, that the county “flipped votes” from her totals to Mason’s vote column. Curtis said Bonavita told him that the state would force the County Sheriff’s Office to investigate if the county refused but when he called the state, they had no record of Bonavita’s call. He said the Attorney General’s Office told him such accusations are a local law enforcement matter, not the state’s. Curtis said an investigation is underway but so far, no improprieties have taken place in the election. Bonavita refused to comment on her accusations.

(SAN LUIS, Ariz.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports that a new fast lane opened at the San Luis, Ariz. port of entry on the Arizona-Mexico border Friday near Yuma, Ariz.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials reported the lane opened at 6:00 a.m. MST to members of the Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection program, also known as SENTRI.

All SENTRI members will have access to the dedicated commuter vehicle lane, which will be open daily from 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. and will reduce waiting times.

The membership fee is $122.25 for five years.

(GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.)-The Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff, Ariz. reports members of a private river trip on the Colorado River reported the discovery of a man Wednesday afternoon.

According to information from the National Park Service, the body was found in the vicinity of river mile 21 in the national park.

Thursday afternoon, park rangers retrieved the body with a helicopter and flew the body to to Cliff Dweller’s Airstrip near U.S. Highway 89A north of the Canyon.

The body was later transported to the Coconino Medical Examiner’s Office in Flagstaff for autopsy and identification.

The cause of death remains under investigation.

(BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz.)-Baby boomers may now have a specific community tailor made for them.

Officials in Bullhead City, Ariz. announced plans for a large “green” community development on several hundred acres this week.

The plan is to develop a “Becoville,” or a Bullhead Ecological Village.

The Bulgaria-based Meldynique Group plans to build such communities in other locations in Arizona, as well as Las Vegas and St. George targeting people born between 1946 and 1964.

The Mohave Valley Daily News reports Bullhead City is the staring point for all ecological villages Meldynique plans to establish in the United States.

The Bullhead City project is expected to be built on 640 acres and be a completely self-sustainable community consisting of energy-efficient housing, water, biofuel, waste and agriculture, including organic produce.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The American Institute of Chemical Engineers will conduct its annual meeting in Salt Lake City next week, November 7-12 at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

More than 5,000 engineers are expected to attend the event which will consist of 12 topical conferences as well as more than 700 technical sessions and special events.

Presentations such as the national Chem-E-Car competition will feature teams from colleges across the country racing small cars powered by alternative fuels the state has created.

Presentations are also expected to cover all aspects of chemical engineering, ranging from chemical engineering to bioengineering.

Other sessions will explore new medical treatments and tools, such as applications for cancer therapy and tissue engineering.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City is expected to add solar panels.

Framingham, Mass.-based Ameresco Inc. says it won the contract to install rooftop and ground-based solar panels that will produce hundreds of kilowatts of electricity.

Ameresco says the $6.6 million project will take 10 months to complete.

The VA is complying with federal law requiring agencies to obtain at least 5 percent of their electricity needs from renewable sources by 2012.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Thursday, Utah Republicans elected the state’s first female Speaker of the House.

Becky Lockhart of Provo ousted Santa Clara-based Dave Clark in a hard-fought leadership race determined by secret ballot behind closed doors by the House GOP caucus.

House republicans, who saw their majority seats boosted by five on Election Night, chose various other new leaders.

The new majority leader is current majority whip, Brad Dee of Ogden, while others include Greg Hughes of Draper who is now in Dee’s stead and Ronda Menlove of Garland who is majority assistant whip, Lockhart’s former position.

Lockhart said she couldn’t pinpoint one particular issue pushing the caucus to vote out Clark but said after being a representative for 12 years, she’s seen a “general concentration of power in the speaker’s office.”

Lockhart downplayed the significance of her appointment, saying she ran because she was right for the job instead of for her gender.

Michael Waddoups of Taylorsville retained his position as Senate president as did his leadership team, Scott Jenkins of Plain City, Wayne Niederhauser of Sandy, and Pete Knudson of Brigham City.

Utah Democrats have a new Senate minority leader, Ross Romero of Salt Lake City, who replaces Holladay’s Pat Jones.

Others joining Romero include Karen Morgan of Cottonwood Heights and Ben McAdams of Salt Lake City.

House Democrats, fresh off of losing five spots on Election Night, will conduct leadership elections next Tuesday.

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.)-A coalition of 13 states, including Utah, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold an Arizona law penalizing businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Next month, the Supreme Court is slated to hear arguments on this law, enacted in Arizona in 2007, which allows business licenses to be revoked or suspended when employers are found to have knowingly hired illegal immigrants.

Similar laws are in place in other states.

Businesses and civil rights groups have challenged the Arizona law by contending it infringes upon federal immigration powers, an argument rejected by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in September 2008.

A coalition, led by Missouri Attorney General Chris Kuster, released court documents Thursday, asserting that states have long had the authority to license and regulate businesses.

The states contend Congress specifically exempted state licensing laws in a 1986 federal law preventing states from imposing civil or criminal penalties on businesses for illegal hirings.

Other states joining Missouri’s argument include Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia.

These states are not party to the lawsuit, but filed their legal brief as a suggestion to the court.

Their document cites laws in Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia that it believes are similar to the Arizona law.

(ST. GEORGE) – An anti-pornography group is planning a conference this weekend in St. George. The Utah Coalition Against Pornography will hold its Southern Utah Regional Conference on protecting children and families from pornography and other harmful materials on Saturday in St. George. The coalition, founded in 2000 under the direction of the Most Reverend George H. Niederauer, former Bishop of the Utah Catholic Dioceses and Steven D. Kohlert, former public affairs chairman for the LDS Church, has become recognized nationally for its efforts to protect families from pornography. The focus of the regional conference is to expand UCAP’s reach throughout Utah and provide ten different resource booths and classes on healing relationships for those damaged by pornography. Costs to attend the conference is $15 per person for pre-registration and $20 the day of the conference.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Sen. Bob Bennett’s 18-year run as a senator may end in January but that doesn’t mean the 77-year old will retire. In a recent interview, Bennett said he may take a job at the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah and with consulting firms in Washington D.C. Under ethics rules that apply to senators, Bennett is not allowed to announce any final details until he leaves office in January, when his replacement, Mike Lee, will be sworn in as Utah’s newest senator. Bennett says he’s had several job offers and he fully intends to stay involved. Kirk Jowers at the Hinckley Institute confirmed the university’s discussions with Bennett and call him, “one of the most respected public officials in the country.”

(MORONI) – The 11-year old Moroni girl reported hit by a minivan while riding her bike to school Thursday morning has died. Moroni City Police Chief Tim Hunsaker said a man was driving a minivan through the intersection at 200 North 200 West and reportedly didn’t see the girl and hit her. The girl, whose name has not been released, was taken to the Sanpete Valley Hospital in Mt. Pleasant and then lifeflighted to Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, where she died. Hunsaker said the accident happened around 8am Thursday and officials continue to investigate. He said the girl was riding across the street in an unmarked cross walk.

(AURORA) – Sevier County Sheriff’s deputies were called to try to locate a missing child in Aurora Wednesday afternoon. A sheriff’s report said that at about 1pm, deputies, Search and Rescue and other personnel were called to assist in locating the child. The report said the child was found before emergency personnel were able to get on scene. According to police, the child had wandered off and was found at the Aurora park.

(PHOENIX)-KVOA-TV, Channel 4 in Tucson, Ariz. reports Maricopa County (Ariz.) Sheriff Joe Arpaio and six other Maricopa sheriff’s office officials are scheduled to be deposed in the coming weeks in a lawsuit accusing deputies of racially profiling Hispanics in immigration patrols.

Depositions are currently ongoing and scheduled to run through November 19.

The handful of Latinos who filed the lawsuit alleged that officers based some traffic stops in the greater Phoenix area on the race of Hispanics who were in the vehicles.

Additionally, the lawsuit asserts that officers had no probable cause to pull them over and made the stops simply so they could inquire about their immigration status.

Arpaio denies these allegations and says those pulled over in the patrols were approached because deputies had probable cause to believe they had committed crimes.

(HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah)-Hill Air Force base officials say they are working on a plan to develop a recycling and waste-handling facility on the Utah military base.

Base engineering chief Harry Briesmaster told the Ogden Standard-Examiner negotiations will begin this month with Ogden Hill Community Energy LLC.

Base energy development manager Mary Enges says plans call for processing up to 120,000 tons of recyclables and 200,000 tons of municipal solid waste per year into a renewable fuel source.

The facility would be located on about 10 acres on the east side of the base with classroom space to teach about waste reduction, energy conservation, efficiency, renewable energy and climate change.

Officials say it could be built within two years.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Life-sized computer manikins are now assisting University of Utah nursing students at the university’s newly-renovated College of Nursing building.

The manikins are among the highlights at the $24 million restoration to the entire building and can be found in the Intermountain Healthcare Simulation Learning Center, which serves as a virtual hospital.

The building officially opened Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and features electronic health records systems and other features that can be found in other hospitals.

Dean Maureen R. Keefe says the hospital gives students the chance to respond to real-life situations while working in a simulated, controlled environment.

The 12,600-square foot virtual hospital was made possible by a $4 million grant from Intermountain Healthcare and was designed by GSBS Architecture.

The cost for all renovations was both publicly and privately funded while project managers say the building exceeds the criteria of the State of Utah High Performance Building Rating System while still meeting the university’s goal for sustainable design and energy efficiency.

The building is now eligible for an LEED certification at the “gold level” for its water-use reduction, construction recycling and indoor environmental quality.

(ST. GEORGE)-Eight men were arrested in a prostitution sting in the St. George area Wednesday.

Detectives with the St. George Police Department Investigations Division conducted the vice sting operation which was part of an ongoing investigation of adult males allegedly involved in patronizing prostitutes in the area.

The investigation concluded Wednesday in the arrests of several men who had arranged to solicit sexual acts in exchange for money.

Arrestees included 37-year-old David Croxall, 55-year-old Allan Handy, 28-year-old Benjamin Green, 54-year-old Les Watson, 27-year-old Michael Shaw and 41-year-old Raymond Jessen.

They were all booked into jail for patronizing a prostitute.

(CASTLE DALE)-Former Emery County Sheriff Lamar Guymon lost a bid for a 10th term after serving as the county’s only sheriff since 1975.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported Guymon lost to Greg Funk, who won 67 percent of the vote.

The 63-year-old Guymon isn’t sure why he lost, but admitted it’s a Republican year throughout the country and he’s a Democrat.

The 41-year-old Funk began his career with the Emery County Sheriff’s Department before being hired by the Utah Highway Patrol in 2006.

(DE BEQUE CANYON, Colo.)-KKCO-TV, Channel 11 in Grand Junction, Colo. reports that crews will bring down rock material near mile marker 46 along Interstate 70 at the west end of De Beque Canyon near Grand Junction.

During the one-day project, both eastbound and westbound traffic along I-70 will be fully stopped for 30-minute increments.

Traffic will be cleared in both directions and then another closure will be set.

Motorists should plan their trips with additional delay time, allowing for lengthy traffic queues to be cleared and for slow-moving traffic through the work zone.

The Colorado Department of Transportation reminds motorists to be cautious in the area and avoid speeding.

(PHOENIX)-SB1070 proponent and incumbent Arizona governor Jan Brewer was reelected to the state’s gubernatorial post, KPHO-TV Channel 5 in Phoenix reports.

Brewer led a statewide Republican surge and was also successful in helping the primarily conservative state obtain two more seats in Congress.

Overall, Arizonans will be represented by Republicans in five of the state’s eight seats in Congress.

Brewer’s opponent, Democrat Terry Goddard, failed to praise Brewer for her victory, warning Arizonans to resist her “divisive politics and issues.”

Brewer has championed Arizona’s SB1070, a tough bill against illegal immigration, which is currently being reviewed in Ninth District Court in San Francisco.

(FILLMORE)-Millard County Justice Court Judge Ronald R. Hare, who was accused of exposing himself to an undercover police officer in a Salt Lake City restroom was voted off the bench Tuesday according to preliminary election results.

With all seven precincts in the county reporting, 1,063 Millard County citizens refused to vote him back to the bench.

As of Wednesday morning, votes were still being counted in the Fillmore Municipal Justice Court, where Hare also sits.

With 16 or 17 precincts reporting, Hare was behind 2,725 to 1,255.

All state, county and city judges face a retention vote at the end of each term while the jurists who fail to get a majority vote must step down in January.

(WASHINGTON)-Before returning to Congress for his second term, Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz says he is following in the footsteps of numerous Super Bowl champions through the years and going to Disneyland.

The 43-year-old Chaffetz, who easily bested challenger Karen Hyer in the 3rd Congressional District, said he plans to restore “fiscal discipline” in Washington after visiting the Magic Kingdom with his family.

Chaffetz, a former kicker on Brigham Young University’s football team, loudly opposed much of President Barack Obama’s agenda, including the health care reform bill.

He has also placed his focus on illegal immigration and said he supported eliminating the birthright clause of the 14th Amendment which grants illegals citizenship by being born on U.S. soil.

Chaffetz has also rejected any calls for an amnesty program for illegal immigrants and has repeatedly said those in the country illegally should not have a pathway to citizenship.

Chaffetz is perhaps best known for playing a role in the firing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a notorious Liberal who has invoked the wrath of numerous Americans throughout the Western United States particularly.

Hyer, a 68-year-old adjunct professor at BYU said she knew she was facing an uphill battle from the start against the charismatic Chaffetz.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Incumbent Utah Governor Gary Herbert easily defeated Democratic challenger Peter Corroon, earning 64 percent of the vote Tuesday.

Herbert will now, at the least, serve two more years and be up for re-election in 2012.

Herbert endeared himself to Utahns, especially in rural areas, by going on a last-minute tour of the state, speaking to residents on a personal basis in many instances.

He is also credited with keeping the state afloat amid a time that historians have already begun calling “The Great Recession.”

Herbert said he plans to keep his focus primarily upon the economy, while he also hopes to resolve a dry wash situation currently stymieing growth in the St. George area.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah U.S. Representative Rob Bishop of Brigham CIty has secured a fifth term representing Utah’s 1st Congressional District.

The Republican cruised to an easy win over Democratic challenger Morgan Bowen Tuesday.

The race was a rematch of 2008 when Bishop won with 65 percent of the vote.

The Hyde Park-based Bowen had criticized Bishop for “pay-to-play” politics claiming Bishop took contributions from donors.

Reportedly, he also helped secure government contracts, including programs at Hill Air Force Base.

The 59-year-old Bishop has denied these allegations and says that while he secured an earmark for a base program, the corporation winning the bid did so on his merit.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah voters replaced longtime U.S. Senator Bob Bennett with Mike Lee Tuesday, a politician who has vowed to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care reform legislation upon his arrival in Washington.

Lee, a Republican constitutional law attorney, defeated Democratic restaurateur Sam Granado, giving Lee his first political victory since he served as Brigham Young University’s student body president in the 1990s.

Lee won a significant 61 percent of the vote to Granato’s 33 percent.

Lee was heavily favored to win Bennett’s seat in ultra-conservative Utah after winning the GOP nomination from Bennett when Utahns decided the 77-year-old Senator wasn’t conservative enough.

After narrowly ousting challenger Tim Bridgewater in the June primary, Lee had been out of the public eye in Utah since Tuesday, confident that his conservative credentials would carry him to victory.

A Democrat has not won a U.S. Senate seat out of Utah since 1970 and the 60-year-old Granado had little chance of reversing the trend.

The 39-year-old Lee is a former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and briefly served as former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr.’s general counsel.

His father, Rex Lee, is a former law school dean at Brigham Young University and solicitor general under President Ronald Reagan.

His brother, Tom Lee, is a Utah Supreme Court justice.

Lee also possesses an impeccable memory and reportedly is able to cite articles and clauses in the Constitution from memory.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Former NBA center and Castle Dale resident Shawn Bradley is vying for a seat in the Utah House of Representatives.

The 7’6” Bradley is challenging Murray Democratic Representative Tim Cosgrove.

Bradley is one of several former athletes across the country running for public office, primarily as Republicans.

Bradley said Utah must support education without raising taxes and fighting federal mandates and wants to attract more business to Murray.

Bradley played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets during a 12-year NBA career.

After retiring in 2005, the former Brigham Young and Emery High star joined the faculty at West Ridge Academy, a private school for at-risk youths in West Jordan.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah’s attorney general wants an apology from a state senator over claims about his fundraising.

St. George Senator Stephen Urquhart told the FBI he thought Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff was declining to prosecute companies in exchange for campaign money.

Tuesday morning, Shurtleff told prominent Utah broadcaster Doug Wright these charges were inappropriate and unacceptable and that Urquhart should be held accountable for his comments.

Shurtleff said these charges go back to the days when Shurtleff fought against Bennett as Urquhart’s wife worked for Bennett’s campaign.

Urquhart told KSL-TV in Salt Lake City that the FBI approached him and he is not out to conduct a smear campaign.

(FILLMORE) – Millard County voters are upset over a letter circulating throughout the county that claims a write-in candidate for County Attorney approved a letter saying he called for the spirit of a dead deputy to vote for him. Attorney James K. Slavens says a fellow candidate notified him of the letter, upon which Slavens found a copy addressed to him in Fillmore. The letter states that Slavens called for the support from the spirit of Millard County Deputy Josie Fox, who was killed while investigating a burglary in Delta in January. Slavens said many Millard County residents received the letter and said he has the greatest respect for the Greathouse family and would never condone such an endorsement. He said he has notified the Sheriff’s Office and wants a full investigation in the incident.

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-The Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff, Ariz. reports work will continue this week on rehabilitation efforts in the aftermath of the Eagle Rock fire on the Kaibab National Forest north of Parks, Ariz.

According to information from the U.S. Forest Service, another round of aerial mulching is scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

The mulching follows a seeding operation conducted last week and is part of an ongoing measure to reduce flood risk, soil erosion and infestation by noxious weeds.

About 150 acres near Forest Road 76 and southwest of RS Hill is being treated in the project.

The fire, which started in mid-June, burned about 3,400 acres before being contained.

(ST. GEORGE)-The Dixie Regional Medical Center received the 2010 HealthInsight Quality Award at the Utah Hospitals & Health Systems Association meeting last month.

Dixie Regional is the only hospital in Utah or Nevada to receive this award for four consecutive years.

The clinical topics measured for the award are designated as national healthcare priorities by the Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Chris Coons, Intermountain Healthcare’s Southwest Region vice president, said the award is a reflection of the consistent excellence Dixie Regional staff reaches in providing care for their patients.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Monday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that its Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is proposing a $423,600 civil penalty against the local oil company after an investigation into the pipeline failure last June.

According to the release, the pipeline, located above Red Butte Creek, leaked 800 barrels (or 33,600 gallons) of crude oil into the ground and water supply.

The subsequent investigation found Chevron “may have failed to institute and follow required procedures to patrol its pipeline’s rights-of way, control corrosion on its system and protect its pipeline from stray electric currents,” the release stated.

PHMSA says the pipe oozed oil for 10 hours before Chevron received a notification of the failure from the local fire department.

Independent investigations have determined an electrical storm on the evening of June 11 caused a nearby power line to arc, sending an electrical current through a metal fence pole placed just above the underground pipeline.

The electricity burned a dime-sized hole into the pipe, allowing oil to flow freely.

Utah U.S. Democratic Representative Jim Matheson heavily questioned the spill and in a letter to USDOT (as well as a response to Matheson’s questions), Chevron officials said detecting the leak was “challenging,” as pressures inside the 182-mile pipeline are constantly changing.

Chevron spokesman Dan Johnson said the company had to review the order and study its findings before it would make a comment on the issue.

In addition to the violation notice, a compliance order was issued on Monday to Chevron, requiring the company to improve its inspection process, take certain protection measures to keep lightning or stray currents from damaging its lines and to improve its leak detection capabilities.

Chevron has 30 days to respond to the federal agency and can take action before the order is finalized.

Chevron began draining Salt Lake City’s Liberty Park pond Monday to clean out sediments from the June oil spill.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Rod Marrelli, executive director of the Utah State Tax Commission for nearly 17 years, passed away October 30.

Marrelli’s passing was announced by the commission Monday.

As executive director, Marrelli managed the day-to-day operations of the Tax Commission and his 750 employees.

Marrelli had led the Tax Commission since January 1994 while as a certified public accountant, Marrelli previously served as president of finance and administration for the multi-media Standard Corporation.

At the time, Standard was the parent company of the Ogden Standard-Examiner, KUTV-Channel 2 in Salt Lake City, KALL radio in Salt Lake City and other media holdings.

From 1980 to 1986, Marrelli served as controller for the Intermountain Power Agency and also worked for the private accounting firms KPMG and Arthur Andersen and Company.

He graduated cum laude from the University of Utah with a degree in accounting while details of the funeral are pending.

(KAMAS)-Tuesday, South Summit High School was evacuated, due to a gas leak at the school.

The South Summit School District says students have been sent to South Summit Middle School, also in Kamas, in the meantime.

Fire crews are now at the high school investigating the problem and they believe the gas leak occurred in the kitchen.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A December trial has been set for a Millard County Justice Court judge accused of exposing himself to an undercover police officer in a Salt Lake City restroom.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports 63-year-old Ronald R. Hare remained silent during a pretrial conference in Salt Lake City Justice Court Monday.

Judge L.G. Cutler denied a request by Hare’s attorney for a continuance saying Hare had been granted a previous continuance.

Hare, who is on the November ballot, has been placed on paid leave pending the outcome of the case.

He was issued a misdemeanor citation for disorderly conduct after the incident at Glendale Park in July.

Hare and his attorney declined to comment on the case Monday.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office is going above and beyond its call of duty to help the family of one of its fallen officers. Public Information Officer Nate Curtis said that the sheriff’s office learned that Sgt. Franco Aguilar’s wife, Jamie, had spent between $250-300 last winter on heat bills. Curtis said that several officers gathered last Friday and blew two feet of insulation into her attic, hoping to cut her heating bills by 50%. Officers said they even found birds living in the attic space. Curtis said that Franco was one of four police officers killed in Utah this year, a fraction of 140 that have died so far this year nationwide. In addition to fallen police officers, 71 firefighters have been killed. Curtis said that last week alone, nine police officers died, leaving 14 children and 10 grandchildren. He said if you want to donate to fallen officers this Christmas, go to www.penniesforheros.com.

(FARMINGTON, N.M.)-KRQE-TV, Channel 13 in Albuquerque, N.M. reports that the Navajo Supreme Court has ruled that the contract of the president of tribal-chartered Dine College of Tsaile, Ariz. expired in May and was never renewed.

The ruling, released Thursday, says Ferlin Clark has no jurisdiction as president of the college.

Clark has been accused of intimidating and retaliating against college employees although he has always maintained that he tries to treat all employees equally.

He was placed on paid administrative leave in January.

On April 6, the Navajo Nation Labor Commission issued an order to reinstate Clark.

Clark is also accused of misleading the tribal Government Services Committee while the panel removed three members of the Board of Regents.

Clark contended that without an intact board, no one possessed the authority to remove him.

(SELIGMAN, Ariz.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports that the pilot of a private plane survived after a crash near Seligman, Ariz. at 12:50 a.m. Monday morning.

The 56-year-old Randy Donnarumma of Kingman, Ariz. made a call to the Yuma County (Ariz.)Sheriff’s Office, saying he had suffered a head injury, was bleeding and “very cold.”

In his condition, he was unable to describe his location.

Dispatchers lost contact with Donnarumma until just before 1:30 a.m. when a Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopter crew and medical helicopter team were sent to assist in search efforts.

Rescue teams were placed on standby as deputies arrived at the Seligman airport but could not locate the crash.

Dispatchers eventually found Donnarumma around 2:30 a.m., discovering he was alert and conscious.

He was flown to the Flagstaff Medical Center in Flagstaff, Ariz. with non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigations are expected to be made into the cause of the crash.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah urologist Jay Bishoff, who will have research he conducted on the misuse of painkillers published said he’s trying to remind fellow doctors not to contribute to the problem.

Bishoff, whose research will be published the February issue of The Journal of Urology, said he is helping Intermountain Medical Center’s Pharmacy become more judicious in reducing doses of painkillers patients receive.

Bishoff says much of the problem stems from teens at treatment centers who started experimenting with pain relievers their parents may have been taking while recovering from surgery.

He also said Utah teens don’t deem prescription drug abuse to be as bad as buying marijuana, heroin or other illicit drugs.

Bishoff contends that data can bring greater precision to medical care while he hopes others replicate his research and that mounting evidence sparks professional groups, such as the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, to offer procedure-specific prescribing guidelines.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A burst water pipe at the University of Utah has injured at least seven people, two of which are critically injured.

A high-pressure pipe carrying water heated to 380 degrees burst in an underground vault where a construction crew was working, just north of the Huntsman Center around 11:00 a.m. Monday morning.

Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Scott Frietag said the seven workers suffered “various degrees of burns,” and were transported to the University Hospital.

Five were listed in stable condition and two were listed in critical condition with severe inhalation injuries incurred from the steam.

Fire crews have shut off the water line and are ventilating the vault while possibly, there have been as many as 12 people hospitalized.

(DRAPER)-Sunday, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints’ First Presidency addressed military personnel and their families at a local LDS chapel, and via the Internet, in Iraq.

President Uchtdorf served as the special guest speaker at a military fireside and said the U.S. men and women serving in the military do an exceptional job in causing democracy to increase throughout the world.

President Uchtdorf also cited the Book of Mormon, stating that two of the Nephites’ more prolific prophets-historians, Mormon and Moroni, were also soldiers who did all they could to preserve the freedom of their countrymen, even when they were wicked.

(ST. GEORGE)-St. George Police Department officers responded to a family fight early Sunday morning involving a shotgun.

The incident occurred around 12:45 a.m. and upon the arrival of authorities, a male was wielding a shotgun at the residence.

The man fired shots in the direction of the officers who returned fire and shot the man in the stomach.

No officers were injured in the altercation.

The SWAT team arrived on the scene when verbal negotiations became ineffective and located the suspect.

The suspect is currently being treated at Dixie Regional Medical Center and he is believed to be in stable condition.

The Washington County Critical Incident Task Force responded to the scene to conduct the investigation and per department policy, officers involved in the incident have been put on paid administrative leave pending the investigation.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has decided to extend current rules governing Utah waterways by two months but Sen. Orrin Hatch says it should be extended for at least a year. Hatch says the public needs to have time to comment to participate in the agency’s revision process. At issue is USACE limiting the state’s role in approving work projects for Utah’s rivers and taking more control over the projects. Hatch says he’s concerned with the agency delaying the approval of permits and creating a burden on companies seeking work on the projects. He said the delays could result in a poorly drafted permit rule. Hatch said a particular concern is the feds regulating the Virgin River in southwest Utah as a navigable river. The USACE Regional General Permit 40 is set to expire this Wednesday and the extension by Jan. 3, 2011. Hatch wants that extension to go for at least a year.

(RICHFIELD) – Several construction projects throughout the Six County area will be discussed at a public hearing planned for this Wednesday. The Six-County Association of Governments have planned the hearing to consider funding for potential projects under the CDBG Small Cities Program for 2011. The hearing will be held on Election Day, Nov. 2 at 10am at the Sevier County Administration Building at 250 North Main in Richfield and the public is invited to attend.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Planning Commission will hold two public hearings concerning allowing chickens in residential areas and a subdivision application. The hearings will be held this Wednesday at 7pm at the Council Chambers at the City Offices. Planning members need public input on the maximum number of chickens to be kept within residential areas of the city, licensing fees, size of coops, distances from neighboring dwellings, inspections and other comments. Planners also want public input on a preliminary approval of a new subdivision application submitted by Buchanan Development. The property is located at about 155 West 100 South in Richfield. The public is invited to attend both public hearings.

(SALINA) – Travelers from out of our local area were injured over the weekend in a rollover on I-70. According to a UHP report, 27-year old Nathaniel Miller was traveling westbound in a 2003 Ford Taurus, when he lost control due to wet roads, drove off the highway and rolled on his top. The accident occurred Saturday at the Gooseberry Interchange up Salina Canyon on I-70 at about 5pm. The report said Miller was wearing his seatbelt and was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with unknown injuries. His wife, 27-year old Jenny Miller, was also wearing her seatbelt and sustained minor injuries. Their four-year old son, Hunter, was in a car seat and had only minor injuries.