Story Archive for 12/31/2010
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N.M. Governor Will Not Pardon Billy the Kid
Published on December 31, 2010 at 12:12PM
(SANTA FE, N.M.)-KOAT-TV, Channel 7 in Albuquerque, N.M. reports Billy the Kid, a notorious Western outlaw through much of the 1800s will not be pardoned, according to a statement made by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
The prospect of a pardon for the notorious historical figure drew international attention to the Land of Enchantment, centering on whether or not Billy the Kid had been promised a pardon from New Mexico’s territorial governor 130 years ago.
The proposed pardon was hoped to cover the 1878 killing of Lincoln County (N.M) Sheriff William Brady while Billy the Kid was shot to death by Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1881, a few months after his escape from jail.
Richardson, a former U.N. ambassador and Democratic presidential candidate waited until the last minute to make his decision while his term officially ends at midnight.
Historical records concerning Billy the Kid’s alleged pardon are unclear while in August, Richardson’s staff members told him there are no written documents implying a pardon to the territorial governor, General Lew Wallace, who among other things, is known for writing the beloved novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, and being a Civil War hero.
Richardson’s office received 809 e-mails in a survey that ended Sunday, which found 430 favored a pardon and 379 opposed the measure.
Richardson says Billy the Kid is part of New Mexico’s storied history and has long been interested in the case while also citing the “good publicity” the state has received from his presence in state annals.
The common notion among New Mexicans is the dignified Wallace tricked Billy the Kid into testifying while citing the lack of evidence in saying he wasn’t cleared as Wallace reportedly once told the Las Vegas (N.M.) Gazette, he had no intention of granting the outlaw clemency.
3 Dead After Tornado Hits NW Arkansas
Published on December 31, 2010 at 11:55AM
(LITTLE ROCK, Ark.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports a tornado, fueled by unusually warm winter air, sliced through parts of northwestern Arkansas early Friday morning.
The tornado killed at least three people and injured several others, while knocking out power to hundreds of homes and businesses.
The deaths occurred in Cincinnati, Ark., a hamlet of 100 residents near the Oklahoma border while Washington County (Ark.) Sheriff’s Office Dispatcher Josh Howerton said the storm touched down near the community’s center.
Officials in nearby Benton County (Ark.) said the storm injured two people and damaged five homes.
Several flights to and from the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport at Highfill, Ark., were delayed or canceled Friday morning as officials constantly worked to clear debris.
The region has been bracing for severe weather all week while gulf moisture riding southerly winds pushed temperatures into the upper 60s and 70s, which will be accompanied by a cold front expected to reach the Natural State by Saturday morning.
Tulsa, Okla.-based National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Sellers said anytime a significant change in air mass occurs, unsettled weather will occur in the area.
Later Friday morning, in south-central Missouri, baseball-sized hail was reported north of Mansfield, Mo. in Wright County.
According to records gleaned from the Storm Prediction Center of Norman, Okla., Friday’s tornado fatalities are the first in the nation since last September 16 when a woman hit a falling tree while driving in Queens, N.Y., and a man was killed in his home at Belleville, W. Va.
The deaths put this year’s count to 39 nationally and five in Arkansas.
Brown Bag Lecture Series
Published on December 31, 2010 at 11:41AM
Updated on December 31, 2010 at 06:52PM
(ST. GEORGE)-The Dixie/Arizona Strip Interpretive Association, the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service co-sponsored Brown Bag lecture series will reconvene in 2011 at 12:00 p.m. each Friday at the BLM Interagency Information Center, 345 E. Riverside Drive, St. George.
Admission is free, but space is limited and here is a list of lectures for the month of January.
Friday January 7, Southern Paiute, a Portrait with author Logan Hebner and photographer Michael Plyler
Friday January 14, The Geology of White Pocket with geologist Marc Deshowitz
Friday January 21, A New Day For the Condor, with condor specialist Mike Small
Thursday-Saturday, January 27-30, the St. George Bird Festival at the St. George City Tonaquint Nature Center, adjacent to the Dixie Center on Dixie Drive.
For more information, please visit www.redcliffsaudubon.org.
Police Review Case of Men Jumping off of LDS Office Building
Published on December 31, 2010 at 10:56AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Currently, Salt Lake City police officers have opted not to file charges against men suspected of base jumping from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ office building.
Salt Lake City police spokesman Dennis McGowan said detectives are on the case following the November 12 incident when two men with backpacks went to the observation deck on the building’s 26th floor and reportedly jumped with parachutes, according to witnesses.
Authorities have said they believe they know the jumpers’ identities but have not disclosed their names while the Salt Lake City Prosecutor’s Office can only change infraction or misdemeanor offenses.
Salt Lake City’s first assistant prosecutor, Scott Fisher, acknowledged that since there is no statute specifically prohibiting parachuting in the city, he will need to find another applicable law if criminal charges are to be filed.
Detectives investigate Denton Oil break-in
Published on December 31, 2010 at 10:52AM
(STERLING) – Sanpete County detectives are asking for the public’s help in apprehending thieves who broke into the Denton Oil gas station in Sterling early this morning. Det. Cole Young said the burglars gained access into the building by breaking out a window on the west side of the business. Young said the area in which the robbers entered had no video surveillance camera installed but investigators continue to look at other evidence. Officials said that alcohol was the only product taken and suspect that the thieves are from the local Sterling, Manti or Gunnison area. A Denton Oil employee discovered the break-in this morning when he opened the store for business at 6am and called police.
Immigrants To Face New Barriers in Buying Health Insurance
Published on December 31, 2010 at 10:50AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-In a report in the Salt Lake Tribune, it is anticipated that by 2014, when health care becomes mandatory, undocumented immigrants are expected to comprise much of the population which will remain uninsured.
Low-income advocates argue that this could potentially have serious public-health consequences for cities such as Los Angeles or El Paso, Texas, where immigrants are as plentiful as natives of the cities.
However, it is believed the new health law will divert more funding to charitable clinics, which cater to undocumented immigrants.
This, while coupled with a projected drop in the uninsured, could free clinics to more readily serve those in need.
The payoff will reportedly be the highest for pregnancies.
Lawmakers Exploring All-In-One Immigration Bill
Published on December 31, 2010 at 10:41AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah Senate leaders are seeking to pull together parts of several immigration bills into a so-called ominous bill which would avoid a legislative logjam that could chew up weeks of the six-week session.
However, one of the casualties could be Orem Representative Stephen Sandstrom’s bill, which is patterned after Arizona’s SB1070.
Thursday, Senate President Michael Waddoups of Taylorsville said it was probably a “fair characterization” to say Sandstrom’s bill, in its current form, would not win House approval.
As recently as two weeks ago, Sandstrom said he was primarily finished with making changes to his legislation, while he was unavailable for comment Thursday.
Representative Chris Herrod of Provo, a supporter of Sandstrom’s bill said he was surprised at Waddoups’ comments.
Lawmakers on both sides of the issue have carefully maneuvered the past few weeks in anticipation of a significant hearing on the matter which will occur when the Legislature reconvenes January 24.
One plan that has received traction of late involves Republican Senator Curtis Bramble of Provo to sponsor an encompassing bill which tackles enforcement, education, employers and guest-work possibilities.
Bramble, who has met with Salt Lake City Democrat Luz Robles, said he hasn’t been formally asked to carry any encompassing bill forward.
Consolidation, or outright dropping of bills is at work in both chambers as Republican Johnny Anderson of Taylorsville recently dropped his immigration bill and has decided to support a workers’ permit bill by Representative Bill Wright of Holden which is still in its formative stages.
Herrod said he would consider consolidating his employers-sanction bill but has not yet been asked to do so while wondering if coupling certain bills was even feasible.
NRC Extends Public Comment Period on German Waste
Published on December 31, 2010 at 10:33AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Federal regulators will grant the public more time to weigh in on EnergySolutions Inc.’s plans to incinerate radioactive waste from Germany.
The deadline for submitting comments to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which originally went to December 30 has been extended to January 18.
The Salt Lake City Nuclear Waste company’s latest import request differs from others, including a hotly contested proposal to bury radioactive Italian waste in Utah, as incinerator ash would be shipped back to the originating country after being processed at an EnergySolutions plant in Tennessee.
The Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah is also expected to weigh in on the license request.
ConYoy Arena hosting more events
Published on December 31, 2010 at 10:23AM
(MT. PLEASANT) – The new rodeo arena located at the south end of Mt. Pleasant is getting ready to host more rodeos, concerts, races and equestrian tours. The former chairman of Arapeen Community Advisors, Steve Clark, who oversaw construction of the ConToy Arena, says big events are going on right now at the arena. Clark said one of the biggest draws to the arena is the well-attended Cowboy Expo and Bull-Riding Blowout that will be held Aug. 14, 2011. He said more top cowboys are participating in the newly formed Western States Bucking Bull Association. Clark said the next major hurdle will be building more horse stalls. The ConToy Arena management has been turned over to the Mt. Pleasant Rodeo Commission, headed by councilman, Reed Thomas, who has raised cattle for decades. Mt Pleasant City donated 100 acres of land in its industrial park for the arena and the future heritage park and was completed with a $125,000 donation from the ConToy Family Memorial Trust, established by former Sanpete residents, Connie and Toy Hansen before they passed away.
Jamaican Scam Targeting Elderly Utahns
Published on December 31, 2010 at 10:17AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah Consumer Protection investigators report they have taken several calls this past week about a Jamaican phone number scam which has recirculated in the state.
Francine Giani, the executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce says those who fall for the scam will be fleeced.
Giani said the good news is the callers who have been targeted, senior citizens, were reporting it and not saying they had been victimized.
The call addresses elderly people, saying that the person in question has won a significant amount of money, a vacation package or a car.
The “winner” is then given a phone number to call back and verify winnings while getting more detailed instruction on asked to wire a “modest shipping and handling fee” or both.
Giani also admonished adults to warn their elderly parents of such dangers the scams create as in certain instances, they may have already been victimized.
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Successfully Taps into New Market
Published on December 31, 2010 at 10:07AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-As the Mormon Tabernacle Choir continues to retain its lofty status in the classical music genre, they are successfully venturing into popularity in other formats.
Currently, the musicians, all of which are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in good standing, are effectively tapping into a new market for classical music by performing with popular musicians, Brigham Young University music professor Michael Hicks said.
Deseret Book director of music and film, Bob Ahlander, said performing with popular artists, such as David Archuleta and Natalie Cole, has attracted attention to the choir and helped generate variety in its releases.
Meanwhile, the choir continues to attract an audience due to its tradition, such as the weekly Music and the Spoken Word broadcast, an element of media that Hicks says makes the choir especially appealing.
Wimmer Considering Congressional Run
Published on December 31, 2010 at 09:57AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Herriman Representative Carl Wimmer, long one of the more revered Republicans in Utah, said he is “seriously” considering running for Congress in 2012, according to an interview he had on KUTV-Channel 2 in Salt Lake City.
Wimmer says he has his eyes on Utah’s yet to be drawn up 4th seat, which it was awarded last week.
Wimmer is the founder of the state’s Patrick Henry Caucus, a group of lawmakers aiming to push a message of the rights of individual states throughout the country.
Utah Democratic Party Chair Wayne Holland said Democrats would welcome Wimmer’s presence in Washington as he deems him to be a “noisemaker,” and not a “serious legislator,” accusations which Wimmer has refuted.
USU Creating New Position
Published on December 31, 2010 at 09:52AM
(LOGAN)-Utah State University is creating a new position for someone to oversee the school’s research operations and 130 graduate programs.
The Logan Herald-Journal reports this new post will combine jobs currently held by the vice president for research and the current dean of the School of Graduate Studies.
Byron Burnham, the Vice Provost and Dean for Graduate Studies is retiring while Vice President of Research Brent Miller will start a sabbatical.
The new official would directly report to USU President Stan Albrecht as of July while the school is currently conducting a national search to fill the job.
Lawmaker Wants State To Reevaluate Who Pays For School Supplies
Published on December 31, 2010 at 09:22AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-While Utah’s elementary school children are guaranteed a free education in the state’s Constitution, a state lawmaker wants to ensure this doesn’t include supplies, such as glue, scissors and pencils.
Representative Kraig Powell of Heber City is sponsoring a resolution amending the constitution, so schools can ask students to voluntarily provide their own supplies.
Currently, state law forbids elementary schools charging anything resembling a fee.
Previously, courts have ruled that teachers may ask students to bring supplies they may have at home, but can’t compel them to bring specific items.
Thus, there are various complex rules in place which govern exactly what students can and cannot bring to class.
The State Office of Education has developed five pages of guidelines to help parents and teachers understand what types of fees are allowable and which are not.
Powell says this confusion has already resulted in several problems.
Powell also acknowledges his proposal may cause more problems in certain districts and isn’t quite sure how low-income families and poorer districts would pay for the school supplies, although he believes this can be worked out later.
His proposal has drawn opposition in certain circles who fear it will allow the state to shirk its financial responsibility when Utah already spends less per student than any state in the union.
Should Powell’s proposal (which will be voted on in 2012) be approved by lawmakers, much will still be left open to interpretation, he said.
In closing, Powell said where the line is drawn on the matter is a debate worth having.
MSHA initiates "Watch Out" for miners
Published on December 31, 2010 at 08:14AM
(CHARLESTON, W.VA.) – The U.S. coal industry says 2010 was the deadliest year in nearly two decades in coal miner deaths. Industry reports say that as of Thursday, 48 miners died in the nation’s 1500 coal mines over the past 12 months, including 29 who were killed April 5 in a blast at Massey Energy Co’s Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia. The death toll was the highest since 55 were killed in 1992, according to the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration officials and much higher than 18 killed 2009. MSHA declined to address the 2010 death toll until the year is done. Officials said many of the 2010 deaths were caused by gas explosions, moving equipment and other factors long thought to be under the industry’s control. MSHA launched a safety initiative earlier this month, called, “Watch Out”, to target injuries and deaths caused by moving equipment.
Kanab dog rescue wants Obama acknowledgement
Published on December 31, 2010 at 08:01AM
(KANAB) – An animal rescue operation in Kanab wants Pres. Obama to give them a “shout-out” in the rehabilitation of an NFL quarterbacks’ dogs. Best Friends Animal Society co-founder, Francis Battista took in more than 20 of Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Michael Vick’s dogs and nourished them back to health. Pres. Obama gave Vick a “high-five” for being allowed to return to the NFL, after his exclusion from the organization and conviction on dog fighting. Battista wants Obama to do the same for his organization and acknowledge his “Vick-tory dogs”, as he calls them. Best Friends took in 22 of the least adoptable Vick dogs and many of them have been transformed by the staff. Battista doesn’t know if he’ll get a call from the White House, he just doesn’t want the dogs to be forgotten, since they were the victims.