Story Archive for 11/30/2010
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Prep Sports Roundup: 11/30
Published on November 30, 2010 at 10:58PM
RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Tyler Ott keyed a balanced scoring attack with 12 points and the Desert Hills Thunder stormed past the Richfield Wildcats, 70-34 Tuesday in boys basketball action. Robert Torgerson had 13 points in the loss for the Wildcats.
CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)-Hannahlynn Snyder had 14 points and Brielle Christensen stepped up with 10 more as the Beaver Lady Beavers got past the Cedar Lady Reds, 44-42 in girls basketball action Tuesday. Courtnie Duncan’s 20 points paced Cedar in defeat.
HURRICANE, Utah (AP)-Kaity Diaz amassed 30 points to lead the Delta Lady Rabbits to a 73-48 rout of the Hurricane Lady Tigers Tuesday in girls basketball action.
KAMAS, Utah (AP)-Emilee Marchant posted 11 points as the South Summit Lady Wildcats ousted the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs, 47-41 in girls basketball action Tuesday. BrieAnn Peterson had eight points in the loss for Gunnison.
SALINA, Utah (AP)-Krystyn Stevens had 12 points and Keri Brunson added 10 more as the Millard Lady Eagles held off the North Sevier Lady Wolves, 38-25 Tuesday in girls basketball action. Shaylie Mason had eight points to lead the Lady Wolves.
PRICE, Utah (AP)-Tia Pappas led all scorers with 21 points and the Carbon Lady Dinos pummeled the North Sanpete Lady Hawks, 59-38 in girls basketball action Tuesday. Paige Francks had 10 points in the loss for North Sanpete.
ENTERPRISE, Utah (AP)-Jodi Williams and Tressa Lyman combined for 32 points and 23 boards as the Enterprise Lady Wolves steamrolled the South Sevier Lady Rams, 44-28 Tuesday in girls basketball action. Kayla King’s 13 points led the way for the Lady Rams.
Suspect in Tuba City Schools Chief Stabbing Denied Jail Release
Published on November 30, 2010 at 11:38AM
(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.
LDS Church History Library Film Drawing National Attention
Published on November 30, 2010 at 11:06AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-A film shown at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ Family History library recently won a prestigious award at a competition presented by the Chicago International Film Festival.
The video, “The Story Lives Here,” recently won an Aegis video and film production award as well as a Gold Plaque in the Public Relations category at the INTERCOM International Communications Media Competition.
Marie Erickson, a member of the church’s Family History Library staff said the idea originated as a short orientation piece for visitors to the library but soon sprang into a complex project.
Erickson said that the entire church history department contributed to the project while committees and individuals began working on historical context, cultural aspects and other intangibles concerning ancestors of Latter-Day Saints.
In order to win the Aegis award, entries are judged against a set standard, rather than direct comparison to other entries.
This film can still be seen at the Church History Library, directly west of Temple Square and is available for viewing online at www.deseretnews.com.
UofU To Open Clinic For Faints, Falls
Published on November 30, 2010 at 10:56AM
(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.
Emergency Unemployment Benefits Expiring
Published on November 30, 2010 at 10:47AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Tuesday, emergency unemployment benefits expire and Utah’s economy may suffer from the change.
The emergency benefits approved of during the recession added another 47 weeks to the normal 26 weeks of unemployment while on four occasions in the past 10 months alone, politicians have voted to extend these benefits.
Nevertheless, this time around, they have failed to get the necessary votes.
Bill Starks, the unemployment insurance director for Workforce Services in Salt Lake City says the organization is seeing 3,000 new unemployment calls per week and that cutting off the money will hurt the Utah economy.
Nevertheless, financial advisor Gary Gygi of Provo-based Gygi Capital Management said extending benefits during the holidays is not a politically attractive thing to do.
Gygi stated that instead jobs should be added rather than jobless benefits.
The latest unemployment figures will be released Friday while Gygi predicted some jobs will be added, but the nationwide jobless rate should remain at 9.6 percent.
Brigham City Doctor Has License Revoked
Published on November 30, 2010 at 10:39AM
(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.
Richfield woman injured in intersection crash
Published on November 30, 2010 at 10:38AM
(RICHFIELD) – A Richfield woman was taken to the hospital with injuries after crashing into another vehicle at an intersection Monday night. According to a police report, 53-year old Mary Ross was traveling north on 200 West at about 5pm and slammed into a vehicle at the intersection at 200 North. The driver of the vehicle, 31-year old Adam Day, also of Richfield, spun 180-degrees in the intersection, damaging his car for a total loss. He complained of a leg and hip injury but did not go to the hospital. Ross said she had head and neck pain and was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield for treatment. Day told police that Ross ran the yield sign at the intersection and hit him. She was cited for failure to yield.
Polygamous Bishops Take Appeal To Utah Supreme Court
Published on November 30, 2010 at 10:25AM
(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.
NTSB Releases Report on Fatal Payson Plane Crash
Published on November 30, 2010 at 10:17AM
(PAYSON)-Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report on a fatal plane crash involving an airplane from Utah Valley University.
The accident which occurred earlier this month went down in an area of Payson near Wilson Elementary school in the southwestern sector of the city of about 12,716 people.
While the cause of the crash remains unclear, it doesn’t appear that UVU flight instructor Jamie Bennee and aviation student David Whitney were able to transmit a “May Day” call on their radio before the crash.
The report questions witnesses as hearing and seeing the plane descend vertically in a “spiral” or “spin,” making numerous rotations before impact.
Additionally, it also adds that witnesses heard sounds consistent with engine operation.
There appears to be no radar data to aid in the investigation as the plane was below the radar coverage area.
No distress call was retrieved by air traffic control or on the UVU base frequency at the Provo airport.
The report also states weather at the time was clear and not believed to be a factor.
The plane and engine are undergoing inspection to determine if a mechanical problem was involved.
A final report of the accident is not expected for several months.
North Sanpete School District Strategic Plan
Published on November 30, 2010 at 10:17AM
Updated on November 30, 2010 at 05:47PM
(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.
UDOT To Close I-15 For Bridge Repairs in Utah County
Published on November 30, 2010 at 10:11AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Utah Department of Transportation says it plans to close Interstate 15 in Utah County Saturday night for work on two separate bridges.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports the agency plans to demolish an old overpass at 500 East in American Fork and put the final driving surface on the new Main Street bridge in Lehi that evening.
As of 11:00 p.m., I-15 will be closed in both directions and may be closed as late as 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning.
UDOT drivers plan to have drivers use on and off-ramps at those locations as detours.
Additionally, UDOT reports it plans to close 800 North in Orem under I-15 until Thursday evening from 9:00 p.m.-5:30 a.m. while crews set girders for a new bridge at that location.
Memorial Today For UVU Flight Instructor, Student
Published on November 30, 2010 at 10:06AM
(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.
UofU Professors Find Way To Curb Depression
Published on November 30, 2010 at 09:56AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-University of Utah researchers have discovered a unique treatment for depression and bipolar illnesses, including two natural substances made by our own bodies.
A natural substance known as creatine, which is found in virtually every cell in the human body may be what depression sufferers need to help turn the tide.
Dr. Douglas Kondo of the University of Utah’s Brain Institute said creatine is raw material bodies can use to create more energy in the brain.
Additionally, another natural substance, uradine, may energize the brains of bipolar disorder sufferers, especially those who have not had success with traditional medicines.
Currently, Kondo and his brain institute colleague, Dr. Perry Renshaw have been giving low doses of creatine and uradine to adolescent patients who have gained no benefits from traditional medication.
Apparently, when substances are given as a supplement to medications, the brain is re-energized, enhancing medications so they can work effectively.
In before and after scans of patients, graphs show some dramatic differences while the images are documented by a sophisticated MRI at the university’s Imaging and Neurosciences Center.
Kondo and Renshaw have both concluded that early creatine and uradine experiments now beg for more stringently controlled double blind clinical trials to prove or disprove what appears to be occurring in the brain.
Furthermore, creatine is also being investigated as a possible therapy for Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Clinical trials which are using creatine to treat depression in adults will soon begin at Salt Lake City’s Veterans Hospital.
Bill Aims To Bring Balance To State and Federal Governments
Published on November 30, 2010 at 09:52AM
(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.
UDOT Audit Taking Longer than Expected
Published on November 30, 2010 at 09:46AM
(PROVO)-An audit into the Utah Department of Transportation’s awarding of a controversial contract for the Interstate 15 CORE project won’t be done by the end of business hours Tuesday, thus delaying a verdict scheduled for November 30.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert requested this audit in late September amid raging controversy about the bid for the state’s $1.7 billion CORE project along I-15, the most expensive in Utah history.
State auditor Auston Johnson says interviews with numerous people involved in the project are taking much longer than expected.
Four investigators, each of which are CPAs and certified fraud examiners, are interviewing dozens of people involved in the project.
Johnson said the audit will not be looking into the more than $80,000 in campaign contributors to the governor’s campaign by the winning bidder and believes it will be done by the end of December.
Utah's Top Budget Officer Moving on to Michigan
Published on November 30, 2010 at 09:38AM
(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.
GAO: More Research Needed on Oil Shale, Water
Published on November 30, 2010 at 09:34AM
(DENVER)-Congress’ investigative arm says the availability of water could eventually limit the growth of oil shale development in Colorado and Utah.
Oil shale deposits in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming have an estimated 1.5 trillion barrels of recoverable oil while companies are currently seeking commercially viable ways to extract it.
The Government Accountability Office said in a report released Monday that oil shale development could have “significant” impacts on water quality and quantity, although more research is needed to determine the effects.
The GAO says up to 12 barrels of water, or about 500 gallons, may be needed to produce a barrel of oil.
Currently, the office is exhorting the Interior Department to coordinate more research.
Utah Academics Assess WikiLeaks Impacts
Published on November 30, 2010 at 09:28AM
(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.