TROPIC, Utah (AP)-Jake Pearson posted 20 points and the Bryce Valley Mustangs stymied the Tabiona Tigers, 63-44 Friday in non-region boys basketball action.

CASTLE DALE, Utah (AP)-Dallon Cologie had 15 points as the Emery Spartans edged the Manti Templars, 54-52 in non-region boys basketball action Friday. Jamen Miller had 18 points for the Templars in defeat.

KANAB, Utah (AP)-Kaden King led the way with 19 points and the South Sevier Rams pummeled the Kanab Cowboys, 58-39 Friday at the Cowboy Classic. Conor Corry paced Kanab with 14 points in defeat.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)-Parker Laub amassed 18 points and the Enterprise Wolves edged the Wayne Badgers, 62-59 at the Wayne Classic Friday. Taylor Albrecht had 19 points and 10 boards in the loss for the Badgers, while Zack Taylor chipped in with 16 points and eight rebounds in defeat for Wayne.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Megan Bean had 26 points and the Richfield Lady Wildcats bested the Desert Hills Lady Thunder, 58-46 in non-region girls basketball action Friday.

ORDERVILLE, Utah (AP)-McKinsey Smith’s 16 points paced the Parowan Lady Rams as they waxed the Valley Lady Buffaloes, 48-32 Friday in non-region girls basketball action. Kyra Milligan had 11 points in defeat for the Lady Buffs.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)-Kobe Farrer stepped up with 18 points as the Juab Lady Wasps gashed the Hurricane Lady Tigers, 48-37 Friday at the Hodson Classic at Canyon View High School.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)-Tara Shipp keyed a balanced scoring attack with 11 points and the Cedar Lady Reds surged past the Kanab Cowgirls, 51-34 at the Hodson Classic Friday at Cedar High. Calli Jackson had 15 points in defeat for Kanab.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)-Sarah Taylor had 11 points and the Wayne Lady Badgers overpowered the Altamont Lady Longhorns, 48-28 at the Wayne Classic Friday.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Rep. Jason Chaffetz will be in Iowa to ring in the new year as he throws his support behind Republican candidate Mitt Romney. Chaffetz’s office said he’ll join the Romney team in Iowa as part of a last minute push for votes. The congressman will spend Monday and Tuesday with Romney’s campaign bus telling voters about Romney’s personal and professional qualifications. Chaffetz’s camp said he’ll highlight the Salt Lake Winter Olympic games and Romney’s strong family values. The main thrust of Chaffetz’s message will be that Romney is not a Washington insider and will fix America’s economic problems. After the Iowa caucus vote on Tuesday, Chaffetz will join Romney in New Hampshire for the Jan. 10 vote.

ESCALANTE, Utah (AP)-Demont Nay posted 29 points and the Tabiona Tigers edged the Escalante Moquis, 77-74 Thursday in non-region boys basketball action. Kayson Durfey had 20 points in the loss for Escalante.

KANAB, Utah (AP)-Race Parsons amassed 24 points and Kaden King had 23 more as the South Sevier Rams overpowered Liahona, 75-59 at the Cowboy Classic Thursday.

KANAB, Utah (AP)-Brandon Jenson posted 29 points as the Kanab Cowboys bested Maeser 61-46 Thursday at the Cowboy Classic.

COALVILLE, Utah (AP)-Kelsey Barney had 20 points and the North Sevier Lady Wolves got past the North Summit Lady Braves, 45-38 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-BreeAnn Buckner had 10 points and the South Summit Lady Wildcats outlasted the Millard Lady Eagles, 59-56 in overtime Thursday in non-region girls basketball action. Keri Brunson had 15 to pace Millard in defeat.

HERRIMAN, Utah (AP)-TaNeil Clayton had 14 points as the Delta Lady Rabbits edged Herriman, 52-48 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)-Calli Jackson amassed 12 points and six boards and the Kanab Cowgirls smacked Canyon View 45-28 Thursday at the Hodson Classic.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)-Kobe Farrer’s 13 points led the way and the Juab Lady Wasps edged Canyon View, 38-34 at the Hodson Classic Thursday.

(MOAB) – A joint service project has resulted in the removal of 60 tons of junk and debris piled near Blue Hill just outside of Moab in San Juan County. The project, involving groups from the Williams Northwest Pipeline Company and the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, removed broken bottles, empty cartridges and large items, including TV’s and refrigerators, from about 40 acres in the area. Officials said most of the workers are avid shooters, who got disgusted with the dumping of junk on public lands and pooled together with others to clean up the area.

(KANAB) – Kanab City officials want to add a water line project on UDOT’s resurfacing project along SR-89 next spring. UDOT crews will be stripping the road down to its base bed and city officials want to replace aging six-inch lead-jointed water lines on 300 South and Center Street with new 12-inch pipes. City officials say piggybacking the projects will save the city $80,000 in paving costs with both projects done simultaneously. UDOT is paying for the resurfacing project along SR-89.

(EAST CARBON) – East Carbon residents are concerned about a company’s application to store polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCB’s, at a storage facility in Carbon County. At a public meeting held last week, residents voiced their opposition on an application submitted by the East Carbon Development Corporation to accept PCB’s in the county. Dr. Paul Martinez, who owns a piece of property near ECDC, said he’s concerned with the higher-than-normal rate of cancer and health problems in East Carbon and would like a third party to conduct testing on soils and animals in the area to determine if PCB’s can be stored. Officials with the Utah Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste, along with members of the EPA, attended the meeting and said that PCB’s are not considered hazardous materials. ECDC’s plans to make changes to its rotary dump to insure water and material cannot get outside the dump zones, provide liners at its site and patrol the area. ECDC must still secure permits from the EPA and the county before accepting PCB’s.

(SALINA) – Officials with the Arch Coal Foundation say there’s still time to nominate teachers for the company’s Achievement Award program to be held in the spring of 2012. Arch Coal’s Sufco Mine general manager Ken May says nominations will be accepted until Jan. 9, 2012 and anyone can nominate a public school teacher in Sevier, Sanpete, Carbon and Emery Counties. May said those counties surround the Dugout Canyon, Skyline and Sufco mines operated by Canyon Fuel Company, a subsidiary of major U.S. coal producer, Arch Coal, Inc. He said if you have a teacher you’d like to nominate, do it now, in order for the nominee to submit an application. Arch Coal will send nominees an application packet that requires responses to questions regarding teaching philosophies, community involvement and the teacher’s profession. Submissions of nominees will be accepted online at www.archteacherawards.com.

(LOGAN)-A deer infected with chronic wasting disease has been found in a new area of Utah although it is situated next to an area where the disease has been stationed for years.

Technicians with the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Logan have finished testing tissue samples taken from more than 1,200 deer, elk and moose this past fall.

Hunters across Utah took the animals while biologists with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources collected the samples.

One of the deer taken was on the San Juan deer hunting unit in southeastern Utah and tested positive for the disease commemorating the first time a deer from this unit had tested positive for chronic wasting disease.

Leslie McFarlane, the wildlife disease coordinator for the DWR said she is not surprised a deer from the San Juan unit tested positive for CWD as the case has emerged in the nearby La Sal Mountains before.

Despite the finding, CWD is not widespread in Utah as since 2002, almost 19,000 deer have been tested in the state and only 54 proved to test positive for the disease.

The 54 deer numbered 38 which hailed from southeastern Utah, 10 from central Utah, and 6 from northeastern Utah.

For more information, please visit www.cwd-info.org.

(PYONGYANG, North Korea)-The Associated Press reports late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il kept the world guessing in death, even as he had in life, with state media being quiet concerning details of his funeral Wednesday.

Kim, who led the communist state with an iron fist, following the death of his father, Kim Il Sung, in 1994, died of a heart attack December 17 at age 69, North Korean media confirmed.

He will be succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Un, already being hailed as the “supreme leader” of the party, state and army.

After 11 days of mourning, a funeral day was set for Wednesday and a memorial service slated for Thursday while foreign news agencies based in Pyongyang, such as Russia’s ITAR-Tass and Xinhua of China, reported a funeral had commenced late Wednesday morning.

Korean Central Television, North Korea’s sole TV station, showed only taped footage of sobbing mourners filing past their fallen leader’s begonia-decked bier while a military orchestra played odes to him and played archived footage of him making “on-the-spot” field trips.

At noon local time, a broadcaster gravely read a news dispatch stating that Kim Jong Un visited his father’s bier with top party and military officials while noting that Kim Jong Il’s body had been lying in Kumsusan Memorial Palace, suggesting the body had been moved.

Heavy snow was falling in Pyongyang at the time, while the media characterized this as evidence that the skies were mourning for the leader as well.

Few details concerning the funeral were revealed, but the ceremonies are expected to follow the tradition set in 1994 with the death of Kim Il Sung which saw Kim Jon Il and top officials participate in a long procession through Pyongyang en route to Kim Il Sung Square, the main plaza of the capital city where thousands of mourners were waiting.

(LAS VEGAS)-Tuesday, Utah and federal officials were laboring to unravel what they believe to be a massive synthetic drug ring sprawling into at least two states.

In November, Las Vegas officers raided a warehouse packed with almost $30 million worth of spice while they said most of the drug, which is a lot like marijuana, was headed to Utah.

Police released a search warrant Tuesday detailing what investigators say is an elaborate and coordinated big-time money-making drug cartel.

When cops busted into the warehouse, located west of the Las Vegas Strip, they were astounded at the amount of drug-related material found inside as it was stuffed to the rafters, sources say.

Among those arrested that day were Utahns Andrew Jakus and Bryan Carlson, who are allegedly associated with a ring of what court documents attest are a group of companies who bring spice to Utah in massive quantities and then distribute it across the state.

Court documents state Deep Powder Marketing of West Valley City, Murray-based Double Diamond Distributors and two other affiliates at West Haven were in on the scheme.

Confidential informants told investigators companies dished out large amounts of spice several times a day to users of the synthetic drug.

Search warrants attest investigators seized computers, guns and bags of what appeared to be spice.

According to documents which were kept from July 29-September 30, Western Wholesale LLC, an alleged spice distributor, paid Deep Powder nearly $60,000, while Deep Powder allegedly supplied Western Wholesale with large amounts of spice.

The Utah Attorney General’s Office is the lead agency on this matter, but will only say there are multiple state agencies in multiple states laboring to bring the rig down.

(MASON CITY, Iowa)-The Associated Press reports GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum refuses to go down with a fight and suggests the contention may even elevate his status.

Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, says he is more likely to be “grinding it out on the campaign trail” than anything else prior to the January 3 presidential caucuses at Iowa.

Nevertheless, he is facing adversity as his cash-strapped campaign has only recently begun running television ads and his organization is small in a state whose contests rely on the ability of campaigns to turn out a slew of supporters.

He has recently earned the support of several key backers, such as former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, the winner of the 2008 Republican caucuses and Sioux City, Iowa-based conservative radio host Sam Clovis as well as several influential evangelical pastors.

Tuesday, he obtained the endorsements of evangelical conservative activists Alex and Brett Harris, the founders of Huck’s Army, a national group known for supporting Huckabee’s 2008 campaign.

Santorum made his presence known by potshotting President Barack Obama for 90 minutes while also attacking Hollywood and “moderate” Republicans, such as Mitt Romney.

Mason City, Iowa Republican Julia Jones, a retired factory worker, says while Santorum does not soften the edges, he does not talk down to constituents but is in-depth.

(HILDALE)-Imprisoned polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs says his followers must be “chosen” by the end of this calendar year, which comes Saturday, or they will be destroyed.

Outside observers say a litany of sect meetings have occurred on almost a daily basis while a set of mysterious construction projects and widespread rebaptism has occurred as his followers react to reports of his supposed prophecies.

Those watching from the outside are growing increasingly concerned that Jeffs, who is incarcerated for life in Texas, is preparing the faithful to his sect for a dramatic new phase, which may entail an exodus from Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz., to another geographic location.

Sam Brower, a Cedar City-based private investigator who has probed the ideals of Jeffs’ sect for years believes adherents to the sect are attempting to live up to Jeffs’ prophesies in hopes that they will appear worthy before him.

Texas corrections officials confirmed Jeffs made two phone calls on Christmas Day and have since launched an investigation to determine if he called his congregation and, in so doing, if he broke the rules.

Prison regulations permit calls up to 15 minutes in length and only to “friends and family” listed on the offender’s visitor list.

Additionally, such calls are only authorized to land-limit home phones, and not to cellphones or business phones while no forwarding of calls is permitted.

Brower says he has also noted unusual construction activity at the sect’s meetinghouse in Colorado City as pallet loads of concrete were taken into the building, perhaps for the construction of a baptismal font.

Brower also says baptismal facilities have been built in a school building a few blocks away in Hildale.

Several sources have also said Jeffs’ brother, Lyle Jeffs, is conducting interviews with members to test their loyalty while Brower asserted that those who pass the loyalty test are being rebaptized.

Brower predicts that the most faithful members, perhaps thousands of them, will be commanded to move to other places of refuge and says the group has outposts in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and South Dakota.

Recently, Brower obtained copies of Jeffs’ alleged prophecies issued by Jeffs in November which suggest he is soon to cleanse all nations and a final warning has been issued.

Former sect member Isaac Wyler says adherents often take such prophecies literally as he went through the community posting notices of unpaid property taxes to sect members and he was accosted by a group of teens who threw rocks at him.

No one was hurt in the incident.

(RICHFIELD) – The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area has partnered with the Utah Heritage Foundation to promote the appreciation of historic barns in Sevier and Sanpete Counties. The two organizations will co-sponsor the Bicycle Barnstorming Tour, a three-day event to be held the second week of June 2012. The Tour will bring together cyclists, heritage and history buffs and barn aficionados to explore how old barns contribute to the rustic aura of Central Utah.

(FILLMORE) – Millard County Commissioners have scheduled a public hearing concerning the 2012 budget and the opening of the 2011 budget. The meeting will be held Wednesday at 10am at the County Courthouse in Fillmore. Commissioners will also discuss the General Fund and Capital Project list as part of the budgetary process. The public is invited to the hearing to comment on the budget.

(JOSEPH) – A toddler from California was injured in an accident in which he was a passenger Friday morning on I-70 near Joseph. A UHP report said 51-year old Jose Rubio of Commerce City, CA. was traveling eastbound in a 1992 Mazda BTM, when he drifted off the right shoulder of the highway at about 8am. UHP said Rubio overcorrected and rolled his vehicle. Rubio was wearing his seatbelt and was not injured in the accident but three-year old Rubio Valeria was in a car seat and sustained unknown injuries. The child was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Search and Rescue donated over $400 in food supplies last week to the Central Utah Food Sharing Program in Richfield at their annual recognition dinner. Event organizers said S & R members usually give gifts each year at their dinner but decided to donate the equivalent in food. Food bank personnel told the members that about 60 families would be coming to get supplies over the next several days before Christmas and welcomed the donations.

(RICHFIELD) – A Richfield man was taken to the hospital after being hit on 1300 South in Richfield late Saturday night. According to a UHP report, 19-year old Clement Yelloweyes was traveling eastbound in a 2000 Chevy Malibu, when he attempted to make a turn at 500 West and was hit by a 1997 Saturn SL-2, traveling westbound at about 10pm. UHP said Yelloweyes, along with the driver of the Saturn, 29-year old Christopher Forsythe of Mayfield, went off the road and crashed. Yelloweyes was wearing his seatbelt and was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with injuries and Forsythe was not injured. A passenger in the Forsythe vehicle, 26-year old Misty Forsythe, also of Mayfield, was not wearing her seatbelt and was taken to the hospital and released. Two other passengers, four-year old Corban Forsythe and one-year old Elaina Forsythe, both of Mayfield, were seatbelted and not injured. Yelloweyes was cited for failure to yield and driving on a suspended license.

(CEDAR CITY)-The Salt Lake Tribune reports a year after resigning from his role as a Southern Utah University administrator because of his role in a prostitution sting, Wesley Curtis is returning in a new capacity.

Curtis, the one-time vice president for government relations and regional service, was among 50 candidates to apply for this post and was selected as a finalist by a search committee.

Last year, the 59-year-old Curtis was among eight people arrested at a Cedar City motel in December 2010 when an undercover officer posed as a prostitute and negotiated with men to exchange money for sex.

He later resigned, then pleaded guilty to a class B misdemeanor of solicitation while he was fined $623 and ordered to pay restitution.

SUU President Michael T. Benson said he believes in second chances and stated Curtis has already paid a significant price both professionally and personally.

In this new position, Curtis directs off-campus outreach programs, including Rural Health, Head Start, the SUU Business Resource Center and economic development partnerships within the campus’ five-county service area.

(SOUTH JORDAN)-Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love, long renowned for being Utah’s first black mayor, has said she plans to make another splash by announcing her intentions to run for the state’s newly-created 4th Congressional District next month.

Love, who has her campaign headquarters in South Jordan, said she will definitively run for Congress and as a Republican, she enters an already-crowded field which features Orem Representative Stephen Sandstrom and Carl Wimmer of Herriman.

The 36-year-old Love has said being a conservative African-American woman sets her apart and relishes the role of standing out rather than adhering to the status quo.

Love cited her budget-cutting expertise as a mayor, as well as focus on limited government involvement and accentuation of family values as pillars to bolster her credibility among voters.

Love stated she is swiftly raising money in Utah and sources in Washington indicate have exhorted her to run a competitive campaign, she says.

Love, a Connecticut native who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., is the daughter of Haitian immigrants who came to the U.S. legally and said her beliefs have always resonated with the GOP.

Love moved to Utah 14 years ago to stay with a friend for six months and began dating Jason Love, a recently returned missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints whom she had known during his service in the Connecticut Hartford Mission while she joined the church shortly thereafter.

(SAN FRANCISCO)-The Associated Press reports Thursday a team of firefighters was spending the early morning hours dealing with any “hot spots” left by as many as 60 people being rendered homeless, fire officials reported.

The five-alarm blaze engulfed three buildings before 150 firefighters, or half of the department’s daytime firefighting force, suppressed the flames after a nearly three-hour battle, stated fire chief Joanne Hayes-White.

Officials said they would spend much of the time Friday determining what caused the blaze.

Hayes-White reported one firefighter was sent to the hospital with a burnt neck and a civilian was treated for mild smoke inhalation.

A second firefighter was given oxygen at the scene, she said.

As the fire raged throughout the afternoon, a pillar of thick smoke emerged from a prominent San Francisco neighborhood, rife with Victorian homes while authorities closed several adjacent blocks resulting in significant traffic jams.

Hayes-White said that prominent brisk winds in the area caused the fire to easily spread and since the building where the fire started was made of wood, it directly attached to other buildings.

The Red Cross cared for residents who were displaced by the blaze.

(PARK CITY)-Jessica Frankel, a teenage girl from Ohio, who was critically injured when tubing at Deer Valley, has died, University Hospital of Salt Lake City reported.

A hospital spokesman confirmed Frankel’s death around 8:30 p.m. MST Wednesday.

Frankel and another girl, Janet Oliva, were injured Monday night as they tubed down Success Run at Deer Valley after the resort had closed down the mountain for the day.

Tubing is prohibited at Deer Valley at all times.

As of Wednesday, Oliva’s condition had been upgraded to “fair,” the hospital reported.

The teenage girls were on vacation from school at the Laurel School, a Cleveland-based private school for girls.

Thursday, the school released a statement, saying the community is heartbroken by the incident and their thoughts and prayers are with the girls’ families.

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(PARK CITY) – A teenage girl from Ohio critically injured while tubing at Deer Valley has died from her injuries. A spokesman at University Hospital in Salt Lake City confirmed that Jessica Frankel died about 8:30pm Wednesday. Police reports said Frankel and another girl, Janet Oliva, were injured Monday night while tubing down Success Run at Deer Valley after the resort had closed for the day. Resort officials say tubing is not allowed at the resort. The hospital spokesman said Oliva’s condition was upgraded to fair on Wednesday. The teenage girls were visiting from Ohio and both attended Laurel School, a private school for girls in Cleveland.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Salt Lake Tribune reports a Bountiful lawmaker is attempting to usher out the Daylight Saving Time era in Utah.

A bill sponsored by Representative Jim Nielson was released this week which would exempt the state from federal guidelines for setting clocks an hour ahead to create longer days during the summer.

Under Nielson’s H.B.199, Utah would opt out of the federal government’s time change, just as neighboring Arizona, Hawaii, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have previously done.

Nielson views daylight saving time as a tactic emanating from Washington to infringe upon a state’s right to set its own time, stating he has never liked the time change.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, daylight saving time was first established by the federal government during World War I as an effort to save energy to offset factory production of war-related materials.

In 2007, the department changed the duration of daylight saving time by about an extra month to reduce energy consumption while the total number of days that fall under the current standards is 238 days, mostly during the summer months.

It has long been argued that the cause for the change is saving energy, but Nielson said some studies have refuted this claim as well.

Nielson said the idea was brought to him by a constituent and noted an additional reason for wanting to abort the time change was it presents a public safety concern for children walking to school in the dark in early morning hours prior to the time change, especially in November.

Other states have attempted to opt out of daylight saving time, such as Colorado, but the measure stalled in Denver during a committee meeting as the 2011 Legislative session played out in the Centennial State.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Associated Press reports a Utah judge has approved plans to collect $2.2 million in back taxes while preventing the land and homes held in a polygamous sect’s trust from being lost to tax sale.

3rd District Judge Denise Lindberg stated a court-appointed accountant can use the threat of eviction to try and compel residents of the sister communities of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz. to pay up.

The United Effort Plan communal land trust was once run by Warren Jeffs, the imprisoned leader of the sect in question.

The state of Utah seized control of the trust in 2005 amid allegations of mismanagement while taxes have been overdue on more than 130 land parcels since 2008.

Trust attorneys say the threat of eviction may prompt residents to pay their taxes.

(TOOELE)-KSL-TV in Salt Lake City reports a Tooele man faces kidnapping charges after a dispute with his landlord.

Tooele Police apprehended 18-year-old Aurelio Castillo-Galindo who was found with the girl he was accused of kidnapping, who is younger than 14, after they were traveling via bus to Mexico from Laramie, Wyo., where the crime occurred.

Court documents filed in 3rd District Court Wednesday assert Castillo-Galindo had rented a room from the girl’s mother, his landlord, but engaged in an argument with her roughly two months ago.

He later informed the landlord he was heading to Mexico and taking a girl with him although he did not mention her identity.

The landlord later discovered her daughter was gone when she failed to show up at a friend’s house while investigators later discovered a note written by the girl, saying she loved the suspect.

The girl’s siblings said their sister engaged in a romantic relationship with Castillo-Galindo while he faces one count of kidnapping.

(BETHLEHEM, N.H.)-The Associated Press reports 2012 GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney eschewed a potential one-on-one debate with rival Newt Gingrich prior to the January 3 caucuses slated for Iowa.

Romney told the AP he has had numerous opportunities in the past to spar with Gingrich and many more opportunities may present themselves, but he wants to show respect to all the other candidates.

Romney also resisted making comment on whether Donald Trump is a probable aspirant for the GOP, saying such a notion is up to the media to decide.

Romney has also perpetually refused to be pinned down concerning how Congress should eradicate an impasse which threatens to increase taxes for 160 million American workers, the latest pressing policy debate he has not responded definitively upon.

Romney has, however, said another extension could be probable, suggesting if an extension is granted, it should last a year instead of for a two-month increment, which is how long the current one lasts.

Romney closed his remarks with the AP by saying he would be surprised if the stalemate is not resolved on a “timely basis.”

(DRAPER)-KSL-TV Channel 5 in Salt Lake City reports the city of Draper and Zions Bank have agreed on terms to end a $25 million lawsuit over the unfinished Suncrest development in the southern Salt Lake County community.

The development, which failed in 2007, left Zions on the hook to pay $40 million in unpaid loan debt while the bank bought the development out of bankruptcy in 2008 for $25.3 million with the intention of selling as quickly as possible to help recoup losses.

Failed infrastructure in the development emerged as a concern by Draper while Zions initially brought the suit in June 2009, accusing the city of sabotaging deals with potential buyers of the unfinished development.

Tuesday, the Draper City Council voted 5-0 to accept terms agreed upon by Zions to have the suit waived, stated city attorney Doug Ahlstrom.

Beforehand, the bank had already agreed to the terms and at the time of this story was awaiting an official copy of documents to sign, Ahlstrom said.

Under this agreement, the city would accept Suncrest Drive and the paved portion of Deer Ridge Drive while assuming responsibility for correcting problems pertaining to the design and construction.

Several attending the council meeting objected to the anticipated use of city funds in the endeavor Ahlstrom confirmed.

Zions announced last February it had reached an agreement to sell this development to MCO Properties of Fountain Hill, Ariz. while Tuesday’s agreement plays into the bank’s agreement with MCO, the bank says it is poised to construct more than 3,000 homes in underdeveloped portions of the 4,500-acre development.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Utah water managers are saying the water supply outlook for the state remains promising despite the lack of snowstorms. National Weather Service Hydrologist Brian McInerney, says the record-setting wet spring this year on top of a record-breaking snowpack last year, will help water supplies remain at above average levels. Randy Julander of the Utah Snow Survey says dry weather in northern Utah has drawn down the snowpack but southern Utah is faring better, with anywhere from 60-100% of average snowpack. Weather forecasters say a storm moving into the Wasatch Front this week should help with a few inches of snow in the mountains.

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports Maricopa County (Ariz.) prosecutor Bill Montgomery says more than two dozen Arizona politicians who received free game tickets to the annual Fiesta Bowl will not face criminal charges.

Montgomery made his statements Wednesday, stating his investigation into whether the elected officials in question illegally accepted or failed to report the gifts failed to find sufficient evidence to pursue criminal cases.

Montgomery blamed inconsistent laws, vague reporting inquiries and a requirement that a defendant knowingly violate the law served as factors in his decision.

Montgomery is calling upon the state Legislature to toughen reporting requirements, ban gifts outright and make these violations, should they occur in the future, a felony.

Federal authorities are separately investigating other aspects of the Fiesta Bowl scandal, including an alleged scheme to reimburse employees for political contributions.

Additionally, one former executive has been charged in that case.

Robert Shelton, the former University of Arizona president and current Fiesta Bowl executive director says there may be some subsequent blips for indictments, when they are meted out, but those will affect individuals instead of the organization.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne is presently leading the investigation against the Fiesta Bowl but gave a portion of the political investigation to Montgomery to avoid a conflict of interest since it involves fellow Republican leaders and lobbyists.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah’s new immigration enforcement law is threatening the human and civil rights of Mexican nationals, attorneys for the government of Mexico wrote in a “friend of the court” brief filed in U.S. District Court.

This matter correlates with a lawsuit challenging the law’s constitutionality, The Deseret News reports.

In a separate filing seeking a preliminary injunction against certain sections of the law, federal attorneys cite the legislative debate over H.B.497 earlier this year as evidence Utah lawmakers intended to usurp the government’s authority concerning immigration enforcement.

Attorneys representing 13 Latin American countries, including Mexico, wrote in an amicus brief filed recently that Utah’s immigration law is a dangerous contributor to a patchwork of laws which stifle effective and consistent diplomatic correspondence between the nations in question and the U.S.

The bill, the brainchild of Orem Republican Stephen Sandstrom, was enforced in March and in the interim has been consistently challenged by civil rights organizations as well as the U.S. Department of Justice.

Those joining Mexico in the amicus brief included Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

Primarily, Mexico City is concerned with the “adverse impact” laws such as H.B.497 may have upon “the breadth and scope” of a bilateral relationship with Washington.

Last week, the Department of Justice motion said the law’s enforcement would inflict irrevocable injury upon the U.S.’ ability to manage foreign policy.

In a brief seeking a preliminary injunction, the DOJ said H.B.497 represents an attempt to usurp the federal government’s constitutional authority from setting immigration policy.

Tuesday, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said the federal government’s motion and the amicus brief filed were nearly identical to other briefs filed by the parties while challenging other states’ immigration laws.

The DOJ memorandum believes it is likely the U.S. will succeed on the merits of this preemption as they believe Sandstrom’s law infringes upon “exclusively federal responsibilities” and conflicts with the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

(ATLANTA, Mich.)-The Associated Press reports the federal government is now seeking to sever all ties with the wolf-protection business, leaving the enforcement of animals in particular regions to be up to individual states and even the wolves themselves.

Wednesday, the Obama administration announced it has declared more than 4,000 wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin to have recovered from previously extensive extermination and as such they will be removed from the endangered species list.

Coupled with an earlier move from five Western states, the decision has placed the gray wolf at a historical crossroads, one that could test both its reputation for resilience and tolerance for ranchers and hunters bemoaning its attacks on livestock and big game.

Wednesday’s announcement may perhaps open the door to hunting wolves in the Great Lakes region but presently, no seasons have been set and federal officials have said they will continue monitoring the population for the next five years.

David Mech, a senior scientist with the St. Paul, Minn.-based U.S. Geological Survey, and a leading wolf expert, says wolves are in their most propitious condition in the past century while their long-term survival is contingent upon how much wildland remains in the region.

Additionally, Wednesday, the Obama administration announced it has postponed a decision in 29 Eastern states wherein no wolves are presently found.

The Interior Department has said it was still reconsidering its prior claim that wolves in states where historically they were deemed a separate species, which would effectively cancel out protections currently in place.

In the West, Montana and Idaho, states where wolves can now be legally hunted and trapped, officials are attempting to bring wolf populations down precipitously as the animals have been attacking herds of elk as well as farm animals.

In certain areas, ranchers are permitted to shoot wolves to defend their livestock while in the northern Rockies, which are found in Montana, Alberta and British Columbia, government wildlife agents have routinely shot wolves from aircraft in response to these attacks.

Idaho has been the most aggressive state or province in terms of stifling the wolf population as officials offer a 10-month wolf hunting season which sets no limits.

Authorities in the Gem State say officials intend to reduce the population from the present 750 to as few as 150, the minimum permitted by the federal government for the animal to be kept off the endangered species list.

Studies assert a plentiful habitat for wolves remains in place for other regions, including upstate New York, northern New England and the southern Rockies states of Utah and Colorado.

However, experts with the Fish and Wildlife Service’s plan would mean any wolves wandering into those states could be shot on sight unless state laws protect them.

(NEW HAVEN, Conn.)-The Associated Press reports that the mayor of New Haven, Conn., the state’s second-largest city, is seeking to extend voting rights to illegal immigrants, a move which correlates with the city’s history of being a refuge for outcasts.

Democratic Mayor, John DeStefano, has previously assisted illegals as four years ago he launched an unprecedented program to give them city-assisted resident cards.

Notwithstanding the crackdowns which have occurred elsewhere throughout the U.S., DeStefano has moved onward with proposals he says are designed to find common ground in the diverse city of 129,779 residents, as of the 2010 Census.

Numerous U.S. cities, such as New York, Cambridge, Mass. and San Francisco have taken a hands-off approach to the pursuance of illegals and advocates claim they are “rightly distancing” themselves from a decimated immigration system.

However, detractors asserts they are flouting federal law by setting up “sanctuary cities,” a controversial label among the Democratic faction.

In previous GOP debates, 2012 Republican candidacy aspirant Newt Gingrich has vowed to cut off federal funding for these “cities.”

Additionally, one of his rivals, Texas Governor Rick Perry, pushed a bill which would have prohibited cities from acting as a sanctuary for illegals while allowing local law enforcement to be more proactive in these matters.

Mitt Romney has also spoken against these sanctuaries and vowed to find the “right approach” to ending them, if such an endeavor is legal.

Presently, more than 70 cities and states nationwide bar police from asking community residents who have not yet been arrested to confirm their legal status, according to information from the Washington-based Immigration Policy Center, a nonpartisan research organization.

These policies, however, do not withhold the right of state or local police to report foreign-born criminals to the Department of Homeland Security.

New Haven reportedly features as many as 12,000 illegal immigrants, resettles roughly 200 refugees annually and hosts about 2,000 non-citizens of the U.S. who are associated with Yale University, which is based in the city.

DeStefano says GOP attacks against him are unrelated to his city and suggested critics are using immigrants as scapegoats in this weak economy.

DeStefano further stated non-citizens, even if they are illegals, already work and pay taxes in the city and if they are allowed to vote in municipal elections, it would further bolster their presence in the community.

Officials in the Connecticut capital city of Hartford have assisted him in calling upon local officials not to honor detainer requests for immigrants who could be subject to deportation after being picked up for minor violations.

However, Mike Lawlor, the liaison of criminal justice policy for Governor Dannel P. Malloy, said the administration shares the concern that all types of illegal immigrants will be targeted, instead of solely “serious offenders.”

(WASHINGTON)-The Associated Press reports President Barack Obama is blaming his GOP adversaries for the stalemate which emerged Tuesday concerning a two-month extension of tax cuts and unemployment benefits for millions of jobless throughout the country.

House Speaker John Boehner informed the press Obama had sought assistance from him while his fellow Republicans have advised him to avoid engaging in anything confrontational with Democrats in a year already rife with contentious government in Washington.

Another deadline has become intertwined in the dispute, which affects seniors, but the administration announced it has found a way around this stumbling block while officials stated paperwork for doctors who treat Medicare patients in the early days of the new year will not be processed until January 18, giving lawmakers more time to avert a 27 percent paycut in fees threatened for January 1.

Regardless of how things shake out, the AP states, it seems improbable the GOP will get their way in regard to negotiations with the Senate as Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada, said he would love to resume talks on a yearlong measure but not before the House ratifies a two-month bill and sends it to Obama for his signature.

CASTLE DALE, Utah (AP)-Michael Roberts and Smokey Osborn had 13 points apiece as the Beaver Beavers edged the Emery Spartans, 45-43 Tuesday in non-region boys basketball action.

DELTA, Utah (AP)-Chad Corry’s 24 points led the way and the Canyon View Falcons ousted the Delta Rabbits, 62-57 in non-region boys basketball action Tuesday at the Palladium. Taylor Bahr amassed 18 points in defeat for Delta.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)-Tanner Monroe had 17 points to pace the Richfield Wildcats as they bested Parowan, 53-47 Tuesday in non-region boys basketball action.

ORDERVILLE, Utah (AP)-Whitni Syrett posted 21 points and the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs downed Valley, 53-30 in Region 20 girls basketball action Tuesday. Brittney Frost had 7 points in defeat for the Lady Buffs.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)-Haley Robins stepped up with 21 points and the Wayne Lady Badgers crushed the Piute Lady Thunderbirds, 53-32 Tuesday in Region 20 girls basketball action. Chelsie Sylvester had 14 points in defeat for Piute.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)-Tessa Bradford had 16 points and the Juab Lady Wasps stymied Maple Mountain, 62-52 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)-Hattie Snyder had 18 points and the Beaver Lady Beavers surged past the North Sevier Lady Wolves, 58-46 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday. Erica Hallows led North Sevier with 12 points in defeat.

KANAB, Utah (AP)-Calli Jackson led all scorers with 21 points and the Kanab Cowgirls shellacked the Pine View Lady Panthers, 55-31 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action.

ENTERPRISE, Utah (AP)-Megan Bean’s 20 points led the way and the Richfield Lady Wildcats tripped up Enterprise, 48-37 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)-Kylee Mackelprang had 14 points and the South Sevier Lady Rams stonewalled Gunnison, 41-29 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Madee Christenson had 10 points in defeat for the Lady Bulldogs.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The fate of Utah’s 43 state parks is still a question as lawmakers try to wean them away from taxpayer dollars. For the last several years, the state parks division has seen general fund allocations shaved dramatically by budget crafters as revenues have dried up amid tough financial times. Lawmakers are looking at reducing or ceasing operations of some parks in the wintertime, hiring fewer rangers and charging higher fees during peak visitations. Some want to close several parks that don’t produce revenue. Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources Mike Styler said $2.8 million for state parks was withdrawn from the budget from last year’s legislative session, only to be put back in. Gov. Herbert wants to keep state funds in state parks, while looking for ways to make them more efficient. Several lawmakers want state parks to be managed locally, or involve the community to keep them open. The 2012 legislative session will address the future of the parks.

(SANTAQUIN) – A Santaquin man is still in shock after winning a lime green Lamborghini from the Maverik Convenience Stores. Officials from Maverik delivered a brand new Murcielago Roadster to David Dopp on Saturday after he won the company’s 18-month “Joe Schmo to Lambo” contest. Dopp said he found out he was the winner during a November BYU vs. Idaho football game. He said he wanted to do back-flips down the field. The man signed up for Maverik’s Adventure Club Card and opted in to the contest more than a year ago. Participants earned chances to win every time they used the card. The contest was co-sponsored by the non-profit organization TeamGive, which raises awareness about rare neurological diseases. The car has been touring through nine western states where Maverik operates.

(DELTA) – Investigators say the body of a man found in a remote area outside of Delta is believed to have been there for at least a year. A geologist doing work in the area found the partially decomposed body Sunday near the Sevier Dry Lake area west of Delta. The Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office said following a preliminary autopsy on Monday, the cause of death was still undetermined and being treated as suspicious by the Millard County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s Spokesperson Lindsay Mitchell said the man is described as about 5-foot, 7-inches tall and between 130 and 150 pounds. Mitchell said that man is between 40 and 50 years of age and had a full reddish-colored beard and hair. His body was found in an area that would only be accessible by ATV’s or by hiking. No additional evidence was discovered at the scene that would identify the man.

(NEPHI) – The Juab County Sheriff’s Office and court administrators are looking for ways to bolster security at the courthouse after an audit found the facility did not meet state court security standards. Sheriff Alden Orme said the problems stemmed from the layout of the building, which was a high school converted into courthouse in the 1980’s. Orme said the facility has not yet presented any incidents of violence but could be safer than it is. He cited examples of ushering prisoners into court after walking through several public access areas and not enough exits in the building. Orme said the solution to the problems is constructing a new facility but those plans are have not been discussed.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – New federal regulations for coal and oil-fired power plants could potentially have an impact on Utah. PacificCorp’s coal-burning plant in Carbon County has been slated for closure in 2020 but may be closed earlier due to new federal environmental regulations on older plants. Rocky Mountain Power Spokesperson, Maria O’Mara, says a final decision on closing the plant earlier than expected has not been made yet. She said RMP’s parent company, PacifiCorp, is in discussions with internal personnel and state officials. O’Mara said the two-unit, 172-megawatt plant has been in operation since 1954 and according to the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory for 2010, the plant released nearly 216 tons of pollutants, including toxic mercury, chromium, lead and hydrochloric acid. The Utah Division of Air Quality said the new federal regulations should not have a big impact in the state because most of the plants are relatively new.

(REDMOND) – Sevier County deputies are looking for two suspects involved in theft of copper wire at a home under construction in Redmond. According to a sheriff’s report, a witness saw two men take a spool of copper wire from a home at 410 South 100 East in Redmond on Saturday. The witness said the suspects fled in a small red passenger car when they saw the witness. Sevier and Sanpete County deputies sent out an Attempt-To-Locate the vehicle but have not found it. The value of the wire is about $150. The sheriff’s report said tire and shoe tracks left at the scene were documented and deputies are following up to see if those match any tracts left at other scenes.

(Ephraim) The Ephraim City Fire Department was dispatched about 4:45 this morning after a garage fire was reported at the Meade Squire home in Ephraim. Officials reported that the garage and one vehicle were totaled in the fire. The State Fire Marshal investigated the scene and determined that the fire started in the engine compartment of the vehicle and was likely due to a short in the electrical system. The garage was detached from the home which allowed fire crew to keep it isolated to the one structure. No injuries were reported.

ORDERVILLE, Utah (AP)-Morgan Hoyt had 11 points and the Valley Buffaloes edged Diamond Ranch, 41-39 Saturday in Region 20 boys basketball action.

TROPIC, Utah (AP)-Eddie Dunham and Jake Pearson each posted 18 points and the Bryce Valley Mustangs decimated the Escalante Moquis, 97-46 in Region 20 boys basketball action Saturday. Jared Noyes had 15 points in defeat for Escalante.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)-Dalan Bennett amassed 27 points as the Panguitch Bobcats bested the Wayne Badgers, 62-51 Saturday in Region 20 boys basketball action. Ty Rees had 11 points and six assists in defeat for Wayne.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Trent Snow led the way with 24 points as the Cedar Redmen stonewalled Richfield, 58-41 in non-region boys basketball action Saturday. Jordan Kemp had 12 points in defeat for the Wildcats.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Joel Swallow had 20 points and the Millard Eagles edged the Gunnison Bulldogs, 49-48 Saturday in non-region boys basketball action. Colby Caldwell led all scorers with 22 points in defeat for Gunnison.

MILFORD, Utah (AP)-Anthony Hardman and Ty Jessen had 14 points apiece and the Piute Thunderbirds stormed past the Milford Tigers, 62-37 in Region 20 boys basketball action Saturday.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)-Darci Clark had 16 points as the Wayne Lady Badgers surged past the Millard Lady Eagles, 55-49 Saturday in non-region girls basketball action. Cheryl Stephenson paced Millard with 17 points in the loss.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Rashel Blazzard’s 24 points led the Morgan Lady Trojans in a 59-27 rout of Juab Saturday at the Sevier Valley Center. Tessa Bradford had 14 points in defeat for the Lady Wasps.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Kennedy Springer had 8 points and the Delta Lady Rabbits held off the Enterprise Lady Wolves, 26-25 at the Sevier Valley Center Saturday. Jaycee Reber had 9 points in the loss for Enterprise.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Kasidee Evans had 9 points and the North Summit Lady Braves stymied the South Sevier Lady Rams, 31-19 Saturday at the Sevier Valley Center. Shelby Sorenson had 7 points in the loss for South Sevier.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Whitney Houston led the way with 12 points and the Kanab Cowgirls outlasted the South Summit Lady Wildcats, 36-33 at the Sevier Valley Center Saturday.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Rebecca Mawhinney stepped up with 15 points and the Wasatch Lady Wasps downed the North Sevier Lady Wolves, 44-40 Saturday at the Sevier Valley Center. Kelsey Barney had 21 points in the loss for North Sevier.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Hattie Snyder had 16 points for the Beaver Lady Beavers as they tripped up the North Sanpete Lady Hawks, 48-37 at the Sevier Valley Center Saturday. Taylor Gordon had 13 points in the loss for the Lady Hawks.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Megan Bean and Sloane Roundy had 19 points apiece as the Richfield Lady Wildcats edged the Canyon View Lady Falcons, 46-44 Saturday at the Sevier Valley Center.

MESQUITE, Nev. (AP)-Natashia Barney had 11 points but it wasn’t enough as the Panguitch Lady Bobcats fell to Pahranagat Valley (Nev.) 38-36 at the Virgin Valley Classic Saturday.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Federal regulators filed a lawsuit Thursday against a father and son from Ft. Green in a more than $200-million Ponzi scheme. The lawsuit named 58-year old Wendell Jacobson and his son, 33-year old Allen Jacobson and their company, Management Solutions, Inc., which served as an umbrella for other entities. The suit said the pair took in millions of dollars from about 225 investors. U.S. District Judge Bruce Jenkins signed an order Thursday that froze assets of the Jacobson’s and their company and appointed an attorney as the receiver with control of the involved companies. In court papers, the Jacobson’s solicited investors in multi-family apartment complexes with low occupancy rates, then rehabilitating them for sale at a substantial profit. Investors were promised the Jacobson’s would invest 50% of their own funds if the investors kicked in the rest, with a promised return of five to eight percent. The lawsuit claims the Jacobson’s never invested their own money and falsely said their complexes had never lost money. The Jacobson’s attorney said the pair are cooperating fully with federal regulators.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Mike Lee has co-sponsored legislation designed to protect American citizens from indefinite detention by the military. The Due Process Guarantee Act of 2011 clarifies that a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force by Congress, does not authorize the indefinite detention of American citizens who are apprehended in the United States. Lee said Americans who commit treason, or plot treasonous acts, should be punished for their crimes but granting the U.S. government the power to deprive its own citizens of life, liberty or property without due process of law, goes against the very nature of our nation’s constitutional values.

The Ephraim Middle School presented two Candle’s last night to two local residents. Paul Rasmussen of Ephraim received the first candle. He is a father of seven, a retired teacher from Snow College and was involved in Teaching English in China with the Snow College Exchange program. He is active in his church, the Lions club, along with the Rotary and Library boards.

The second recipient was Barbara Jensen of Manti. She is a wife, mother, and proud grandmother. Barbara taught school for 30 years in Manti. She is active in her local church and is an avid cub scout leader.

Both recipients received their honors last night during the Ephraim Middle School Candlelight Ceremony.

(FLAMING GORGE NATIONAL RECREATIONAL AREA)-The Salt Lake Tribune reports a coalition of 10 conservation groups is seeking to intervene in a federal permitting process for a proposed pipeline to take water from the Green River to Colorado’s Front Range.

The privately backed proposal would divert water from above Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Wyoming and funnel it across the southern portion of The Cowboy State, then further southward through the Denver metropolitan area en route to Pueblo, Colo.

Presently, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is reviewing the plan.

Groups, including the Utah Rivers Council and the Wyoming Outdoor Council, formed the Colorado River Protection Coalition in hopes of advocating against the project, which they claim endangers fish and and water rights in Utah.

The FERC process enables members of the public with a stake in the matter to intervene and the coalition asserts it is part of the negotiations.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Thursday, the Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation announced it has named Fred Hayes as its acting director and will guide the agency through the upcoming legislative session.

Hayes, who has been with the department since 1982, has been deputy director and replaces Mary Tullius, whose retirement is effective December 23.

The division’s executive director, Mike Styler, said the organization is fortunate to have Hayes lead the agency in this capacity.

Styler said the department plans to conduct an extensive search and interview process and hopes to name a new director soon after the legislative session concludes in March.

The parks division has come under fire from lawmakers in part because of a critical audit released early last year which said too many of the state’s 43 parks were being subsidized by tax dollars.

The audit asked lawmakers to consider public policy implications of such subsidies and to consider exploring other options such as seasonal closures, reduction of full-time staff or pursuing public-private partnerships.

Tim Smith, the southeastern region manager will currently fill in as acting deputy director, while the acting southeastern manager will be Eugene Swarberg, the Green River state park manager.

Additionally, Lawrence Twitchell will serve as acting southwest region manager, replacing the retiring Larry Gray.

(LAS VEGAS)-The Associated Press reports as the recession ensues, the West is recovering faster than other parts of the country as a whole, but employment levels across the region still remained well below pre-recession levels.

Additionally, the housing market has shown few signs of improvement at this stage according to an economic report released Thursday.

The report, prepared by Brookings Mountain West researchers at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas focused upon economic growth in 10 metropolitan areas scattered throughout Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Idaho.

Overall, the region experienced a modest 0.3 percent growth in employment in the quarter ending in September, compared to the national rate of 0.1 percent, the study found.

Meanwhile, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, states that have constructed broad economic bases, struggled the least, researches confirmed.

In Arizona and Nevada, the extensive housing collapse continued to limit job growth, the report stated.

Overall, every metropolitan area lagged behind pre-recession employment levels while Phoenix and Las Vegas experienced the sharpest differences and job levels languished 10.8 and 13.4 percent, respectively, below pre-recession peaks.

Utah and New Mexico were found to have the lowest unemployment rates as metro areas in those states, such as Salt Lake City and Albuquerque, have had better luck than Phoenix and Las Vegas, while Nevada’s largest city had the highest unemployment rate, at 13.6 percent.

Leading the recovery were Ogden and Provo, who each saw employment rise by 1.5 percent although Tucson, Ariz. and Colorado Springs, Colo. were still showing signs of difficulty.

Manufacturing gains in the Provo and Ogden areas caused the respective economies to grow while government expansion bolstered Boise, Idaho’s sprawl.

Conversely, government layoffs at Colorado Springs, Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Denver caused those economies to slightly diminish.

Still, there are propitious signs, the researchers say, as prices remained stagnant or improved in eight of the metropolitan areas for the first time since the recession commenced in 2007.

In Las Vegas and Tucson, home values continued to fall, albeit at a much slower rate than previous quarters.

Researchers stated hard-hit Tucson, Boise and Phoenix will not see improved home prices in the foreseeable future in closing their report.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Jurors have resumed deliberations in Novell’s $1 billion federal antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. of Redmond, Wash. and say they are close to a verdict, The Associated Press reports.

Novell, Inc., formerly of Provo and now part of a Seattle-based conglomerate, sued in 2004, claiming Microsoft duped it into developing a version of its WordPerfect writing program for Windows 95 after which the plug was pulled, enabling Microsoft to gain market share with its own Word program.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates testified in November that Novell was unable to deliver a compatible WordPerfect program in time for the rollout, and that Microsoft’s Word program was transcendent anyway.

Late Thursday, jurors asserted they were making progress in deciding whether Novell was entitled to damages.

Friday morning, they said they were close to finishing deliberations.

(ABERDEEN, Miss.)-The Associated Press reports a Mississippi man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for threatening to kill President Barack Obama and blow up a hospital that refused to grant his wife surgery.

Attala County (Miss.) resident David Williams was arrested last July after Jackson, Miss.-based University of Mississippi Medical Center officials reported the threat while he pleaded guilty August 31.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated the 45-year-old Williams was also sentenced for three years supervised release as well as alcohol and anger management courses.

Williams will receive credit for five months he has spent in jail.

The Secret Service has said Williams called the hospital to schedule his wife’s surgery but when the hospital refused, he threatened to blow it up and also kill Obama, using a racial epithet in his comments.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Thursday, Utah Democratic Representative Jim Matheson announced he will jump from the 2nd District, where he has served the past 10 years, to the state’s new district in hopes of seeking reelection.

However, this is a district wherein he does not live and already GOP challengers are taking shots at Utah’s sole Democrat in Congress.

Kirk Jowers, the director of the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics has said Matheson’s decision has set up a “must-see politics” event.

Matheson stated the state Legislature’s redrawing of congressional boundaries this fall instigated his move as the district he has known no longer exists.

Challengers to Matheson’s seat include Orem Republican Stephen Sandstrom, and Herriman Republican Representative Carl Wimmer and attorney Jay Cobb. Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love is also running, but has not yet made a formal announcement.

Sandstrom said Matheson’s appearance in the race promises to give Utah more national attention while Wimmer has thrown the gauntlet down to Matheson to “quit acting like a Liberal.”

Utah Democratic Party Chairman Jim Dabakis lauded Matheson’s decision, saying he is a “great fix” for the 4th District.

LAVERKIN, Utah (AP)-Dirk Chynoweth keyed a balanced scoring attack with 17 points as the Bryce Valley Mustangs smacked Diamond Ranch, 65-41 Thursday in Region 20 boys basketball action.

JUNCTION, Utah (AP)-Tyler Dalton led the way with 15 points and the Piute Thunderbirds decimated the Escalante Moquis, 87-47 in Region 20 boys basketball action Thursday. Jared Noyes had 14 points in defeat for Escalante.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)-Colby Spencer posted 16 points and the Valley Buffaloes outlasted the Wayne Badgers, 37-35 Thursday in Region 20 boys basketball action. Ty Rees had 12 points in defeat for Wayne.

PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)-Tyce Barney amassed 25 points and 11 boards as the Panguitch Bobcats shellacked the Milford Tigers, 82-45 Thursday in Region 20 boys basketball action.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Keri Brunson netted 15 points as the Millard Lady Eagles bested the American Leadership Lady Eagles, 55-47 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday.

(MESQUITE, Nev.)-Officers representing the Southern Area Interdiction Narcotics Team, comprised of the Mesquite, Nev. Police Department and the Nevada Department of Public Safety, arrested two Utah men on several drug charges during a routine traffic stop Tuesday evening.

Around 9:34 p.m. PST Tuesday, officers noted a 2006 Dodge Stratus with an unreadable temporary tag driving northbound on Interstate 15 at mile marker 114, roughly six miles south of Mesquite, and pulled the vehicle over.

While speaking with the driver, officers observed the passenger making furtive movements and exhibiting suspicious behavior.

While conversing with the occupants, authorities detected small balloons consisting of heroine and cocaine on the passenger side floorboard.

After obtaining consent to search the vehicle from its registered owner, officers arrested both of them.

Those arrested were 26-year-old Kenneth Taylor of St. George and 21-year-old Darwin Lee of Ivins.

Taylor and Lee were transported to the Clark County (Nev.) Detention Center at Las Vegas without incident.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Salt Lake Tribune reports Wednesday, friends and family of 25-year-old Daniel Maumau apologized for his crimes as a member of a Tongan Crip Gang and said he became a changed man after the birth of his daughter notwithstanding his looming prison sentence.

Crimes Maumau was convicted of in his federal case, assault with a dangerous weapon and using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, occurred in 2007.

Maumau said he is prepared to serve his sentence and hopes to obtain a college degree while imprisoned.

Court Judge Tena Campbell also sentenced Eric Kamahele, who received 32 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and robbery.

Maumau and Kamahele were two of six TCG members convicted of crimes last October which date back to 2002.

This verdict comes after a five-week trial and two days of deliberation.

Overall, 17 TCG members and associates were charged in a 29-count indictment filed in federal court in May 2010, alleging that the gang engages in acts of violence to enhance its prestige, while protecting and expanding the gang’s operations.

At trial, Maumau was accused of shooting into a house, during a drive-by while Kamahele was involved in robbing a parking lot attendant.

Both were also accused of being present during other gang crimes.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Deseret News reports a new map, detailing 1,800 square miles of unique Utah geography, is now available to the public.

The extensive map covers everything from large chunks of U.S. Forest Service land to geologic features, such as quarries and mines.

The map, produced by the Utah Geological Survey, primarily depicts geology in a previously unprecedented manner and is available as a GIS database or color plot.

It is hoped the map will be instrumental in assisting consultants and land-use managers in addressing geologic hazard and resource issues as well as helping educators and others interested in learning more about Utah’s unique geology.

Geologic hazards, such as slope failures, landslides and active earthquake faults, including the Provo segment of the Wasatch fault, are present throughout the map.

Among the areas enclosed in the map area are Deer Creek Reservoir, Utah Lake, American Fork Canyon and Timpanogos Cave National Monument and Provo Canyon and Sundance Resort.

The Interim Geologic Map of the Provo 30×60 Quadrangle, Salt Lake, Utah and Wasatch counties is available either in printed form or on DVD for $24.95 at the Natural Resources Map and Bookstore at 1594 W. North Temple Salt Lake City.

For more information, please visit www.mapstore.utah.gov.

(MONTEBELLO, Calif.)-The Associated Press reports a 10-mile stretch of a major freeway in the greater Los Angeles area will remain closed throughout the weekend after intense heat from a burning gasoline tanker sent chunks of concrete raining from an overpass, authorities revealed Thursday.

Commuters were exhorted to take extra time, use alternate routes or rely upon public transit as crews cleaned up this site prior to inspecting the bridge over California S.R. 60, or the Pomona Freeway, a major arterly connecting downtown Los Angeles to the San Gabriel Valley and eastern counties.

California Department of Transportation spokesman Patrick Chandler told KTTV-TV, Channel 11 in Los Angeles, crews had removed damaged pavement under the partially-melted truck and later planned to pressure-wash the overpass and take a core sample in hopes of determining whether the bridge can remain safe.

Chandler said inspectors were unable to get to the overpass for hours after the crash because the concrete remained hot and fuel had spilled from the tanker.

California Highway Patrol Officer Ed Jacobs confirmed the section will remain closed throughout the weekend.

The cause of the fire cannot be confirmed until inspectors peruse the melted truck while investigators are presently looking at all possibilities, including whether the trucks’ brakes may have overheated.

(GOSHEN)-The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is in the process of rolling out a new series of short films depicting the life of the Church’s head, Jesus Christ.

During the Church’s annual First Presidency Christmas Devotional December 4, a sneak peek was given of the first few scenes of the series, during remarks by President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency which saw Christ’s early life unfold.

President Eyring also said these films are not exclusive to Latter-Day Saints but to all Christians or anyone else who is interested in seeing them.

The production, shot on site in Goshen, near Santaquin, has been depicted in such a way as to capture the essence of the Savior’s early days in Galilee.

As the series progresses, the versatile scenery will take on the look of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, an important scene in many of Christ’s activities.

President Eyring stated the series will be released incrementally for free at www.biblevideos.org and presently, more actors are being sought for the next phase of shooting.

All of those interested in this endeavor should visit www.lds.org for more information.

(MULLAN, Idaho)-The Associated Press reports seven miners were pulled from an area more than a mile below the earth’s surface after tragedy struck at a northern Idaho silver mine where two workers died in separate mishaps this year.

One of the men was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries around 7:40 p.m. PST Wednesday evening by a rock burst, or an explosion of rock caused by excessive pressure from the weight on the ground.

Work was being done in the Lucky Friday, one of the nation’s deepest underground mines.

Initial reports implied the miners could have been trapped but this was not the case, stated Hecla Mining Company spokeswoman Melanie Hennessey.

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration will investigate the accident that happened after two other Lucky Friday silver miners died in an April incident.

In regard to this accident, the investigation report cited Lucky Friday management for failing to install adequate ground support systems and neglecting to test the area’s stability wherein the collapse that killed miner Larry Marek, occurred.

The mine is currently undergoing a $200 million project to deepen it to nearly 9,000 feet in hopes of increasing access to deeper silver deposits.

Officials with Vancouver, British Columbia and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho-based Hecla expect this project to be completed by 2014.

OREM, Utah (AP)-Cameron Bailey posted 16 points and the Timpanogos Timberwolves surged past the Juab Wasps, 55-44 Wednesday in non-region boys basketball action. Brayden Kaae and Spencer McPherson had 10 points apiece in the loss for Juab.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)-Colby Caldwell amassed 22 points and the Gunnison Bulldogs outlasted the Parowan Rams, 50-45 in non-region boys basketball action Wednesday. Justin Hulet and Tristin Adams had 11 points apiece in the loss for Parowan.

DELTA, Utah (AP)-Colton Marshall posted 23 points and the Hurricane Tigers hammered the Delta Rabbits, 66-47 Wednesday in non-region boys basketball action at the Palladium. Kyle Church led the way for Delta with 17 points in the loss.

KAMAS, Utah (AP)-Colton Dunn had 17 points and the North Sanpete Hawks gashed the South Summit Wildcats, 61-43 in non-region boys basketball action Wednesday.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)-Kody Shepard posted 17 points and the North Sevier Wolves doubled up the Beaver Beavers, 38-19 Wednesday in non-region boys basketball action. Tyler Roberts had 7 points in defeat for Beaver.

MANTI, Utah (AP)-Jordan Kemp led the way with 16 points and the Richfield Wildcats bested the Manti Templars, 53-45 in non-region boys basketball action Wednesday. Devin Cluff had 19 points to pace the Templars in defeat.

PRICE, Utah (AP)-Kaden King had 25 points, including six 3-pointers and the South Sevier Rams stonewalled the Carbon Dinos, 62-43 Wednesday in non-region boys basketball action.

ESCALANTE, Utah (AP)-Sydney Cornforth had 19 points and the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs smacked the Escalante Lady Moquis, 67-46 in Region 20 girls basketball action Wednesday. Lindsey Phillips had 22 points in the loss for Escalante.

MILFORD, Utah (AP)-Mariah Dotson led all scorers with 19 points and the Milford Lady Tigers surged past the Piute Lady Thunderbirds, 52-38 Wednesday in Region 20 girls basketball action. Chelsie Sylvester had 14 points to lead Piute in defeat.

PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)-Sarah Taylor had 11 points and the Wayne Lady Badgers snuck past the Panguitch Lady Bobcats, 40-32 in Region 20 girls basketball action Wednesday. Natasha Barney led all scorers with 14 points in defeat for Panguitch.

KAMAS, Utah (AP)-Alisha Lewis amassed 11 points and the South Summit Lady Wildcats got past the North Sanpete Lady Hawks, 54-51 in non-region girls basketball action Wednesday. Paige Francks had 16 points for North Sanpete in the loss.

WASHINGTON CITY, Utah (AP)-Carissa Fiame and Kenzie Hawes had 6 points apiece and the Pine View Lady Panthers outlasted the Beaver Lady Beavers, 28-24 Wednesday in non-region girls basketball action. Brittney Blackner had 9 points in defeat for Beaver.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Council approved an application to the Community Impact Board for supplemental funding to construct the new fire station in the city and awarded the apparent low bidder. At the city council meeting Tuesday night, City Manager Mike Langston presented to the council an additional $225,000 needed to construct the $2-million facility. He said the project was bid in October but all bids came in too high to complete the project. The City Council rejected all bids at that time and then authorized the re-bidding process. Out of a dozen bidders, the City Council approved Busk, Inc. of Richfield as the apparent low bidder on the project at a cost of $1,877,000. Langston said grants and loans will cover the remaining costs of the project. City leaders will be asking the CIB for the supplemental funding at the next meeting.

(SPRINGDALE) – Officials at Zion National Park have reduced or ended some services due to the decrease in winter visits. Park Superintendent Jock Whitworth said December signals a quieter time in the park and many services need to be cut or end and will pick up in the spring. He said the voluntary shuttle service throughout scenic sites at the Park have been shut down and will resume in April. Operating hours will also be reduced throughout the winter months. Whitworth said even with reduced services at the Park, it gives visitors an opportunity for quiet solitude.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – A majority of Senate Democrats today voted down an amendment to balance the federal budget. Sen. Mike Lee said 47 Republicans voted for Senate Joint Resolution 10 and 20 Democrats voted for their version of the BBA, in SJR24. Lee said it was no surprise that getting the requisite two-thirds on either amendment was a tough hill to climb, he was shocked that more than 60% of the Democrat caucus could not support either version. He said it sends a strong signal to Americans that Democrats in the Senate do not view Congress’s out-of-control spending to be a problem. Lee said economists and experts from both sides of the aisle indicate that the country is heading towards a fiscal meltdown but Democrats don’t want to do anything about it.

(ANNABELLA) – An Annabella woman and her children escaped unharmed from their home Tuesday afternoon after discovering smoke that filled their home. A Sevier County Sheriff’s report said that Holly Langston woke from a nap at about 4:15pm to find her house full of smoke. Sheriff’s deputies said that Langston was able to grab her kids and get out of the house. Fire crews found a laundry basket had been placed on a heater vent in the basement of the home, located at 613 East 200 North in Annabella and began melting, causing smoke to come from the plastic. No damage was done to the home.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Tuesday, three Utah state agencies sent letters to the Utah Highway Patrol Association, requesting all memorial crosses on public lands to be removed.

The action by the Utah Highway Patrol and the state departments of transportation and administrative services follow an October 31 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to not hear the state’s appeal of a lower court decision banning the prominent roadside memorials which have been traditionally been found along numerous Utah roadways.

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and the Utah Highway Patrol Association had requested a discretionary review of a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that held that crosses on state property violate the separation of church and state.

In November, the UHPA began making changes to the crosses, removing the highway patrol logo from the 14 crosses statewide and adding notes, stating they are private memorials and bereft of any religious endorsement.

Of the 14 crosses, 10 of them are located on state land.

(CEDAR CITY)-The St. George Spectrum reports thousands of migrating birds crashed throughout the southern Utah region Monday evening, resulting in a marathon rescue and collection effort which was still ongoing through late Tuesday.

Teresa Griffin, the wildlife manager for the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources’ southern region, said all employees are driving around picking them up and numerous residents who have retrieved them have dropped them off at the office.

Wildlife officials confirmed thousands of grebes, an aquatic bird species similar to ducks, were presumably migrating to Mexico and possibly mistook the parking lot at the Cedar City Wal-Mart and other locations, as bodies of water when they crashed.

Through Tuesday, thousands of the birds had been killed, while officials said they began collecting survivors around midnight Tuesday and had rescued 2,000 by that evening.

The surviving birds were released in unfrozen bodies of water in Washington County, primarily at Stratton Pond near Hurricane.

Anyone who finds any remaining grebes are urged to call the DWR office in Cedar City at 865-6100 or drop the birds off at the office at 1470 N. Airport Road in Cedar City.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Earlier this month, .xxx domains, which are often associated with pornographic Web sites, became available to the public and Utah universities swiftly acted to ensure their reputations could be safeguarded.

Along with numerous other institutions of higher education nationwide, Brigham Young University and Utah State University purchased all domains which could possibly be associated with the universities.

For instance, BYU purchased byu.xxx and brighamyounguniversity.xxx and USU purchased usu.xxx, utahstate.xxx and utahstateuniversity.xxx.

BYU spokesman Michael Smart called this a common practice for BYU and other organizations while the university followed the same procedure with Twitter and Google+.

While USU considers their $600 investment wise, things are not so cut and dry at the University of Utah as university spokesman Remi Barron said since the Salt Lake City-based flagship university for Utah operates with taxpayer money, there is a need to be diligent with how the funds are used.

Barron clarified by saying anytime money is spent, there needs to be a good reason.

While as of Tuesday, uofu.xxx and utahutes.xxx, had been purchased, Barron said he did not believe the university had purchased the domain names and declined to mention whether the matter had merited any consideration.

At Weber State University, spokesman John Kowalewski said the issue is worthy of discussion at the Ogden-based campus, but officials have not yet had the opportunity to discuss it in depth.

However, he did assert the matter will be discussed later this week.

In Cedar City, Southern Utah University officials were unaware of whether the university had purchased .xxxdomain names related to the terms “SUU” or “T-Birds,” but as of Tuesday, suu.xxx, had been purchased, although “southernutah.xxx,” was still available.

At Orem, Utah Valley University officials had not yet purchased uvu.xxx and utahvalley.xxx domain names and UVU officials could not be reached for comment.

(PRICE) – Carbon County sheriff’s officials are waiting for autopsy results regarding a badly decomposed male body found in a manhole on Monday. Officials are currently exploring whether the body of the man is that of a missing Price resident. Sheriff James Cordova said a 28-year old man was reported missing sometime between the end of October and the beginning of November. Cordova said part of the investigation is centered around how the body got into the manhole, if someone put him there and why. He said he could not discuss in what position the body was found. Cordova said any unattended death is treated by the sheriff’s office as a homicide.

(MORGAN)-Former Morgan High School drill team instructor Josie Foster, who had been on the job for less than four months, has pleaded guilty to drug possession, KSL-TV in Salt Lake City confirmed.

Last week, the 34-year-old Foster accepted a plea in abeyance, originally pleading guilty to burglary, a second-degree felony, and possession of a controlled substance, which was amended from a second to third-degree felony.

In exchange for her guilty pleas, two counts of theft were dismissed and she dodged prison time, instead being sentenced to 18 months probation.

To assist Foster in qualifying for a drug rehabilitation program, attorneys agreed to change her burglary charge to a second count of possession of a controlled substance.

Foster was also instructed to complete the Weber County drug diversion program.

Charges against her emerged when she was accused of breaking into homes and stealing prescription drugs while she was convicted when the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office detective determined that all victims had a daughter who performed on the drill team.

Morgan County Attorney Jan Farris said Foster’s most common method in the robberies was driving to a drill team member’s home, parking the car outside and calling to see if the family in question was home.

If the response was “No,” she entered homes, and if the answer was “Yes,” she just claimed to be doing measurements for drill team members.

Farris said Foster’s methodology was not random but she sought occasion for family members of those on the drill team who had recently undergone surgery and needed prescription pills to recover.

Foster, who was first hired August 8, had been on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation while the Morgan School District officially fired her after entering her guilty pleas December 8.

Additionally, she was arrested on November 29 for investigation of two counts of burglary and two counts of theft.

As part of the plea agreement, Foster submitted a list of names of victims in exchange for prosecutors agreeing not to file any new charges.

The list consisted of 10 names, including those of family members of four or five drill team members, Farris confirmed.

Farris says this case has been among the most polarizing in the community recently as many rumors have been spread concerning what occurred.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Council held a public hearing Tuesday night concerning the establishment of tattoo businesses in the downtown zoning district. Several residents in attendance at the hearing commented in favor of changing the ordinance to allow a tattoo business in the downtown area, including Ted Slaymaker, who wants to occupy vacant office space. Currently, the city ordinance does not allow tattoo businesses downtown and recently, the City Planning Commission voted 4-0 against allowing such businesses in the downtown area. Councilmembers decided to wait before voting on changing the ordinance to have sufficient time to gain input from downtown business leaders.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Megan Bean led the way with 22 points as the Richfield Lady Wildcats pounded the Juab Lady Wasps, 52-33 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Kobe Farrer had 12 points in the loss for Juab.

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)-Taylor Gordon keyed a balanced scoring attack with 13 points and the North Sanpete Lady Hawks waxed the Manti Lady Templars, 53-36 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday. Mandee Christensen led all scorers with 19 points in the loss for Manti.

MONROE, Utah (AP)-Shelby Sorenson had 9 points and the South Sevier Lady Rams got past the North Sevier Lady Wolves, 37-25 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Bailey Sorenson had 9 points in defeat for North Sevier.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners approved a new bike path extension contract at their bi-monthly meeting on Monday. The new bike path will extend from Elsinore to SR-118 at the Airport Road in Richfield and will be funded by a $625,000 grant, provided through a federal aid agreement with UDOT, along with a matching amount of $175,000 from Sevier County, for a total of $800,000 in construction costs. Commissioners also approved a BMX Lease Agreement for an event to be held on property located in the northwest quadrant in Richfield. A Memorandum of Agreement was also signed for County Lobbyist, Robert K. Weidner, who represents the county on public land uses at the federal level. Weidner will be paid $15,000 by the county as part of his state-wide salary for his lobbying efforts.

(Ephraim) Snow College officials are hoping to offer several new programs to students at the Richfield Campus, starting as early as next fall. According to communications director Greg Dart, the school has received approval to implement a degree program for National Resource Technicians. Dart commented that the program is based on needs within our area. According to the Department of Workforce Services, there are on average forty jobs offered per year, in our area, that would incorporate a degree in National Resources. The school has been making a push to bring programs that will allow students to remain in the area after graduation and become a part of the local workforce. According to Dart, the program will be two years with an option to transfer and continue later on. Other programs will also be added including Industrial Technology. The school is also working towards approval of a four year music program at the Ephraim Campus. The proposal still has to be approved by the board of regents.

(PROVO)-The Salt Lake Tribune reports Provo police say what appears to have been a routine vehicle burglary arrest ended up with the recovery of more than 100 stolen items from nearly 40 individuals.

Monday, Provo Police Sergeant Mathew J. Siufanua stated the stolen property recovery was the result of an investigation which commenced last Wednesday after officers responded to a reported vehicle break-in.

At the time, the thefts only involved several credit cards that had been left in the victim’s car.

Later, the thieves began using the cards at various Utah County businesses while a security camera at one of the locations yielded images of two suspects, a 43-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman who were tracked to the M-Star Motel at 1380 S. University Avenue in Provo.

The man, who has an extensive criminal history, was arrested inside a parked car and the female suspect was arrested shortly thereafter, Siufanua said.

A subsequent search of the vehicle turned up burglary tools, methamphetamine and more than 100 items reported as previously stolen from 37 different victims, Siufanua revealed.

The male suspect remained detained in Utah County Jail Tuesday, booked on suspicions ranging from possession of stolen property and vehicle burglary to illegal drug possession.

The female suspect was booked on suspicion of forgery and the fraudulent use of a credit card.

(BALTIMORE)-The Associated Press reports Occupy Baltimore protesters demonstrators who spent 10 weeks protesting economic disparity were peacefully removed from a downtown plaza near the Inner Harbor tourist district during a Tuesday pre-dawn raid.

While in full riot gear, Baltimore police moved into McKeldin Square around 3:30 a.m. EST to remove the protesters who had been camped out on site since October 4.

City police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said there was no resistance from people staying at the site.

Guglielmi stated the whole event was well-orchestrated and this speaks to the relationship with Occupy.

A spokesman for Baltimore mayor Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake, Ryan O’Doherty, said 23 people were taken to a city shelter and that no arrests were made.

City officials recently denied Occupy Baltmore’s request for a permit to continue in their protest in the plaza and cut off their power supply.

Early Tuesday, Rawlings-Blake issued a statement in which she said the city is committed to protecting individuals’ rights to protest but the city’s public parks and green areas should not be treated as a permanent campground.

(PRICE) – Investigators suspect foul play was involved in the death of a man whose body was found Monday in a manhole near Price. According to Carbon County Sheriff James Cordova, crews found the man’s body about 10:30am, while doing a routine check of the sewer system near the interchange of U.S. Highway 6 and the highway business route east of Price. Cordova said there were obvious signs of trauma on the body and the position the body was in that raised suspicion of foul play. The man was carrying no documents and due to the cold temperatures, investigators cannot immediately estimate how long the body may have been in the sewer system. Cordova said the man’s body had begun to decompose. An autopsy is pending.

(BOUNTIFUL)-Monday, Utah Governor Gary Herbert met with Bountiful High School students and gave them some tips on how to spend $12.9 billion wisely.

Herbert spoke with financial literacy students and used the event as a platform to reveal his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which commences next July, and spoke concerning financial education as well as budgeting principles.

Herbert asserted his budget would boost public education spending by $111 million, which is sufficient to cover the cost of more students as well as expanding all-day kindergarten programs and other early intervention programs, add testing and start new charter schools.

Higher education would receive an additional $23 million for a variety of programs, largely targeted at meeting the governor’s goal of increasing the number of Utahns who earn post-secondary degrees.

Herbert’s designs of creating 100,000 jobs by the middle of 2013 is bolstered with $20.4 million for economic development initiatives, $11.6 million to provide incentives for job creation and $6 million for tourism marketing.

Additionally, Herbert recommends a $26.4 million decrease in unemployment insurance rates while additional funds have been allocated into the governor’s budget to hire six new Utah Highway Patrol troopers, create a parole violator center to free up more prison space and cover increased Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance program costs, among other things.

University of Utah political science professor Matthew Burbank has said the governor is clearly attempting to avoid a confrontation with fellow Republicans over the budget in an election year.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday night concerning amending the Zoning Code to allow tattoo establishments in the downtown business zone. The public is invited to attend the hearing and comment on the change at about 7pm Tuesday. Other items on the agenda include a discussion on an application to the CIB for supplemental funding for the new fire station in Richfield and to consider the apparent low bidder. The City Council will also discuss an amended agreement with the Central Utah Food Sharing program for use of their building and to review pasture leases.

(RICHFIELD) – Over 120 kids from three South-Central Utah counties enjoyed the annual “Shop-With-A-Cop” program over the weekend in Richfield. Sevier County Sheriff Nate Curtis said the children met with law enforcement officials for breakfast at the Fairgrounds to begin the day with “Ronald McDonald.” Curtis said the kids then climbed into police cruisers and vans to travel to Walmart in Richfield for the shopping spree. He said the annual event is a blessing to underprivileged children in Sevier, Wayne and Piute Counties who come from adverse backgrounds.

EPHRAIM, Utah (AP)-Ex-Snow star Casey Cooke posted 26 points and former Panguitch High standout Halie Sawyer amassed 23 points and 13 rebounds as the Utah All-Stars bested the Snow Lady Badgers, 82-75 Saturday in non-conference women’s college basketball action at the Activity Center.

Katy Cooke added 10 points and 11 assists for the All-Stars while Erica Martinez had 21 points in the loss for Snow.

The Lady Badgers fell to 6-5 on the season with the loss and are next in action at the Pima Tournament at Tucson, Ariz. December 28 when they will face Central Arizona College.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)-Kameron King had 13 points and the Canyon View Falcons stymied the Beaver Beavers, 60-43 Friday in non-region boys basketball action. Dallon Blackner’s 15 points led the way in defeat for Beaver.

MORGAN, Utah (AP)-Jake Miles amassed 32 points and the Morgan Trojans got past the Delta Rabbits, 74-68 in non-region boys basketball action Friday. Colin Christensen posted 26 points in the loss for Delta.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)-Braden Harris stepped up with 13 points and the Gunnison Bulldogs overpowered the Grand Red Devils, 43-26 Friday in non-region boys basketball action.

HURRICANE, Utah (AP)-Weston Yardley had 13 points and the Hurricane Tigers bludgeoned the Juab Wasps, 48-30 in non-region boys basketball action Friday. Curtis Orme paced the Wasps with 12 points in defeat.

CASTLE DALE, Utah (AP)-Dallon Cologie led all scorers with 20 points as the Emery Spartans surged past the Millard Eagles, 68-59 Friday in non-region boys basketball action. Jesse Rhodes had 19 points in the loss for Millard.

MANTI, Utah (AP)-Race Parsons posted 43 points as the South Sevier Rams outgunned the Manti Templars, 79-67 Friday in non-region boys basketball action. Quinn Nielsen had 20 points for the Templars in defeat.

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)-Damjam Sredanovic led the way with 17 points as the Wasatch Academy Tigers bested the North Sanpete Hawks, 65-58 in non-region boys basketball action Friday. Rhett Bird had 16 points in the loss for the Hawks.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Dylan Lindsay had 15 points as the Altamont Longhorns surged past the Escalante Moquis, 44-35 Friday at the Sevier Valley Center. Kayson Durfey had 12 points in the loss for Escalante.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Colby Spencer had 11 points and the Valley Buffaloes edged the Tabiona Tigers, 29-28 at the Sevier Valley Center Friday.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Zach Paige had 21 points as the Intermountain Christian Lions held off the Wayne Badgers, 40-39 Friday at the Sevier Valley Center. Ty Rees paced the Badgers with 17 points in defeat.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Trevon Spencer keyed a balanced scoring attack with 12 points and the Duchesne Eagles snuck past the Panguitch Bobcats, 53-49 at the Sevier Valley Center Friday. Dalan Bennett’s 16 points led Panguitch in the loss.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Jordan Kemp posted 15 points as the Richfield Wildcats smacked Rowland Hall-St. Mark’s 41-27 Friday at the Richfield Tournament.

JUNCTION, Utah (AP)-Lindsey Phillips had 20 points as the Escalante Lady Moquis edged the Piute Lady Thunderbirds, 62-60 in Region 20 girls basketball action Friday. Kierra Gleave had 32 points in the loss for Piute.

ORDERVILLE, Utah (AP)-Haley Robins amassed 21 points and the Wayne Lady Badgers humbled the Valley Lady Buffaloes, 46-36 Friday in Region 20 girls basketball action. Kyra Milligan stepped up with 16 points in the loss for the Lady Buffs.

MOAB, Utah (AP)-Elizabeth Palmer led the way with 9 points and the Manti Lady Templars clipped the Grand Lady Red Devils, 35-19 in non-region girls basketball action Friday.

BLANDING, Utah (AP)-Jolene Kirk had 12 points and the San Juan Lady Broncos outlasted the Millard Lady Eagles, 38-35 Friday in non-region girls basketball action. Keri Brunson had 13 points in the loss for Millard.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)-Tara Shipp amassed 19 points and the Cedar Lady Reds got past the Richfield Lady Wildcats, 54-51 in non-region girls basketball action Friday. Sloane Roundy had 20 points for Richfield in the loss.

KANAB, Utah (AP)-Whitni Syrett had 14 points for the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs as they downed the South Sevier Lady Rams, 32-29 Friday at the Cowboy Classic. Hadley Jensen had 9 points in defeat for South Sevier.

KANAB, Utah (AP)-Calli Jackson led all scorers with 23 points and the Kanab Cowgirls shellacked the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs, 66-27 at the Cowboy Classic Friday. Madee Christenson had 8 points for Gunnison in defeat.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The live-in girlfriend of Utah Jazz player Al Jefferson was arrested Thursday night for domestic violence in the presence of a child. According to Cottonwood Heights police, 38-year old Shirley Lewis was arrested for assault on Jefferson at the couple’s home at about 8:30 Thursday night. Police determined that it was a domestic violence incident and that Lewis was the aggressor. Salt Lake County Jail reports said Lewis was in a verbal argument with Jefferson, when she hit him and bit him on the back during the altercation. Officers said two children, ages 3 and 9, were at home at the time of the incident. Jefferson commented that he received abrasions but the injuries were not serious.

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-The Associated Press reports the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expects a decision on whether to mandate pollution controls for the coal-fired Navajo Generating Station next spring.

Nevertheless, with so many competing interests involved, EPA regional administrator Jared Blumenfeld admits the agency will not satisfy them all, and differences will have to be ironed out in court.

Blumenfeld outlined this convoluted process Thursday which will ultimately determine whether nitrogen oxide emissions from the plant on the Navajo reservation will require further regulations.

The plant serves as an economic engine that ensures power and water demands are met in major metropolises while it also contributes significantly to the economies of local tribes, such as the Navajos and Hopis.

Ultimately, Blumenfeld said what the best strategy is to protect the air around Grand Canyon National Park and other pristine areas.

(BOULDER)-The Salt Lake Tribune reports Thursday the Utah Transportation Commission capitalized upon a money-making opportunity provided by Garfield County, a deal the county hopes to be instrumental in avoiding federal red tape and lead to the paving of Burr Trail switchbacks after 30 years of contention with environmentalists.

Reportedly, Garfield County offered to swap $250,000 in federal funding available to it for a design of Burr Trail switchback improvements for $212,000 in state funding instead, which represents its federal funding to the state for 85 cents on the dollar.

Garfield County Engineer Brian B. Bremner said federal dollars have significantly more requirements for use than state funds and that federal monies granted would require small entities, such as his, to utilize outside consultants to ensure all rules have been complied with.

Utah Department of Transportation director John Njord informed the transportation committee Thursday environmental requirements for the project would be the same with either state or federal funding.

The deal in question would allow Garfield County to design improvements for the switchbacks on the trail, near Boulder, more efficiently and swiftly while the state would receive extra money overall that the commission plans to use to help repair a landslide which has closed S.R. 14, between Cedar City and Orderville, for months.

Bremner said having completed plans on the shelf would allow Garfield County to swiftly move should a funding source emerge while confirming the county is also searching for a wide range of options to upgrade the switchbacks owned by the county within a portion of Capitol Reef National Park.

Bremner noted the National Park Service is currently hesitant to recommend paving while presently 50 miles of the Burr Trail have been paved but 16 miles remain unscathed.

The road runs from Boulder to S.R. 276 near Bullfrog.

Bremner said he figured environmental groups may perhaps sue again should the county attempt to move to actual construction at the switchbacks.

Stephen Bloch, an attorney for environmentalist group The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance said his group and others will continue to engage in any proposals to give the Burr Trail and other backcountry roads in the area and will review whatever comes in to assist them in their goal.

(BLANDING)-ABC4 in Salt Lake City reports the Utah Army National Guard will rename its Blanding armory to commemorate a soldier killed in Afghanistan.

Friday, the facility will be renamed as the James E. Thode Armory during a special ceremony.

Thode, a resident of Kirtland, N.M., was a member of the 118th Engineer Company, 1457th Engineer Battalion while he was killed December 2, 2010 from injuries incurred when his unit was attacked by insurgents via an improvised explosive device.

The 45-year-old Thode was first enlisted in the military in 1984 and joined the Utah National Guard as a combat engineer in 2002 and deployed with his unit to Iraq in 2003.

Guard officials say the Blanding armory will be named in his honor because it is the home of the unit he belonged to when killed in action.

(CEDAR CITY) – A Cedar City man who pleaded guilty in the death of his young son has been sentenced to prison. Fifth District Court records said that 27-year old Andy Gorecki was ordered to serve one to 15 years behind bars for one count of child abuse homicide, a second degree felony. He was also ordered to pay over $19,000 in fines but the bulk of that was suspended, leaving the balance due at $1,000. Police said Gorecki’s son, Tayshaun, was found not breathing by his grandmother at Gorecki’s residence in Cedar City. Medical examiners later concluded the child suffered severe internal injuries which were consistent with shaken baby syndrome. Gorecki pleaded guilty in September to the charges.

(CHEYENNE, Wyo.)-The Associated Press reports a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency draft finding it may have detected groundwater pollution resulting from a controversial technique playing a significant role in modern oil and gas development has not emerged as “settled science.”

Political factions have not been placated either, especially since hydraulic fracturing has unleashed significant new oil and gas reserves and creating economic opportunities that may not otherwise exist.

Environmentalists have cautioned against fracking in Pennsylvania, New York State and other places where new gas drilling has emerged while they applauded Thursday’s statement concerning pollution in central Wyoming as being “a long time coming.”

The EPA emphasized their announcement that it had found chemicals likely associated with gas production practices, such as fracking, which was the first step in its review of its own science while the draft report has ushered in a 45-day comment period and a 30-day-per review process by independent scientists.

Hydraulic fracturing is aimed at improving the productivity of oil and gas wells while it involves pressurized water, sand and chemicals underground to open fissures and improve the flow of oil or gas to the surface.

Residents in Pavilion, Wyo., have long said their drinking water has been contaminated by chemicals which in turn has created health problems for residents.

In 2010, health officials recommended they not drink their water and ventilate their bathrooms while showering.

Meanwhile industry officials pointed out the EPA announcement did not focus upon those domestic water wells, but rather two wells drilled significantly deeper into the aquifer to specifically test for pollution.

An announced $45 million sale of the Pavilion field to Midland, Texas-based Legacy Reserves fell through last month amid concerns shared by current owner, Encana of Calgary, Alberta about the EPA investigation.

The EPA, which has studied the groundwater at Pavilion for more than two years, also accentuated that these preliminary findings are specific to the Pavilion area and not necessarily anywhere else on U.S. soil.

The EPA’s drafted report and the upcoming critiques of it come as states and the federal government continue to ponder whether fracking should be regulated and, if so, how the process should be done.

In 2010, Wyoming became one of the first states requiring oil and gas companies to publicly disclose the chemicals used in fracking.

In Colorado, regulators are considering the idea as well.

(BLACKSBURG, Va.)-The Associated Press reports Virginia state authorities covering the slaying incident at the Blacksburg, Va.-based Virginia Tech campus believe the gunman who killed a campus policeman had no accomplices and changed clothes after fleeing the scene.

Afterward, they stated, he killed himself with his handgun when another officer spotted him.

Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said investigators have not found anything connecting the gunman and the slain officer, Deriek W. Crouse, who was shot in his car in a campus parking lot after pulling over a motorist for a traffic stop.

Geller said his motive remained a mystery Friday.

Various news outlets, such as ABC News, have reported the suspect was not a Virginia Tech student but Geller said investigators were confident they know the gunman’s identity although they declined to say anything concerning his origin until the state medical examiner confirms it and his next of kin are notified.

This shooting compelled school officials to place the campus on lockdown as police and SWAT team units scoured the premises.

Crouse was an Army veteran and the married father of five children and stepchildren who joined the Virginia Tech police force in October 2007.

Previously, he had worked at a jail and for the Montgomery County (Va.) Sheriff’s department.

The university, which has an enrollment of 28,650 students, confirmed its counseling center would be open all day Friday for students.

(CEDAR CITY)-KCSG-TV in St. George reports members of the Utah National Guard’s 222nd Field Artillery Batallion returned home for the holidays in droves Thursday with 140 representatives flying into the Cedar City Airport and 40 others touching down at Salt Lake City International Airport.

Roughly 475 members of the Triple Deuce deployed in June but have arrived in Utah earlier than anticipated because of orders emanating from the White House to have all U.S. troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011.

Some members of the faction made it home in time for Thanksgiving several weeks ago while all are expected to return to Utah by Christmas, stated Guard spokesman, Major Bruce Roberts.

Roberts stated the battalion has been versatile in their responsibilities on Iraqi soil, except for, incidentally, their primary role as artillery soldiers.

(RICHFIELD) – A scoping meeting concerning evaluations of the greater sage-grouse conservation measures will be held in Richfield in January. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service officials have announced initial steps in a formal planning process to protect the sage grouse in land use plans across ten Western states, including Utah. Wildlife officials say they want to make a decision by 2015 as to whether or not to include the sage grouse on the Endangered Species List. A meeting on the proposal will be held in Richfield on Jan. 30 and other scoping meetings will be held in Price, Cedar City and Kanab.

(SALINA) – A Salina woman and her four children were injured after a vehicle crashed into their car at an intersection in Salina this morning. Police Chief Greg Harwood said 31-year old Teri Gates was traveling westbound in a 1995 Saturn, when she was struck at the intersection at 200 East 100 North in Salina at about 8am. The police report said 31-year old Staley Sorenson was driving a 2003 Ford pickup and didn’t see Gate’s vehicle, due to frost on his windshield. Salina EMT’s responded and treated Gates and her four children for bumps and bruises and Sorenson was cited for failure to yield and obstructed windshield.

(OKLAHOMA CITY)-The Associated Press reports a Southwest Airlines flight from St. Louis to Phoenix was diverted to Oklahoma City after the pilot reported fumes inside the aircraft’s cockpit.

Oklahoma City-based Will Rogers World Airport spokeswoman Karen Carney says none of the 45 people on board were injured in the Thursday morning incident.

Carney stated Flight 2805 of the Dallas-based airline was inspected by airline officials who deemed the plane to be safe and cleared it for its ensuing flight to Phoenix.

Carney said the aircraft left Oklahoma City around 10:30 a.m. CST Thursday and that officials did not determine the cause of the fumes.

Southwest did not immediately return phone calls to the AP seeking comment.

(CEDAR CITY)-This past Tuesday, Iron County Sheriff’s Office deputies discovered 12 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop and arrested the driver, 42-year-old Garland Christopher Vantine of Crested Butte, Colo.

Vantine was charged with possession of marijuana and the intent to distribute it while K-9 officer “Duke,” was instrumental in the discovery.

Iron County Sheriff’s Office deputy Wade Lee performed the arrest after stopping Vantine for failing to signal as he was changing lanes.

Upon approaching the vehicle, Lee detected a strong odor, which proved to be burning marijuana, and confronted Vantine.

Vantine indicated there was only a small portion of marijuana in the vehicle after which Lee called upon fellow deputy Jeff Malcom and Duke for assistance.

Additionally, Vantine was also carrying $1,000 in cash and was subsequently booked into the Iron County Jail with his bail set at $50,000.

(KANAB) – The comment period for a Draft Environmental Impact Statement on a coal tract near Alton has been extended through January. The Bureau of Land Management Kanab Field Office has announced the EIS on the Alton Coal Tract application has been extended from Jan. 6-27. Alton Coal developers have been mining on private land and want to expand their operations to nearly 3600 acres on federal lands. The comment period extension will allow the public to review additional details, including the removal of 394 acres and 6.8 million tons of Federal coal in the tract to minimize impacts in close proximity to the town of Alton and to preserve seasonal greater sage-grouse habitat.

(PAYSON) – A Vernal man accused in the murder of a BYU professor is no longer seeking to withdraw his guilty plea. In Fourth District Court, 24-year old Benjamin Rettig ended his legal fight on Tuesday. He is now scheduled to be sentenced next Tuesday. According to court documents, Rettig pleaded guilty in June to aggravated murder and aggravated kidnapping in connection with the 2009 slaying of Kay Mortenson at his Payson home. As part of his plea agreement, Rettig is to be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, with the possibility of parole. Prosecutors say Rettig will testify against Martin Bond if the case goes to trial. Court papers state that both Rettig and Bond broke into Mortensen’s home and during the robbery, Rettig kept a gun pointed at Mortensen while Bond slashed his throat. Bond faces the death penalty for the murder.

(ST. GEORGE) – Washington County businesses will soon be required to use the federal E-Verify system to check the legal status of new workers or face penalties. County Commissioner Dennis Drake said the ordinance will go into effect Dec. 17 and businesses that fail to comply, will risk temporary suspension of their business license or a complete revocation. Drake said employers must check the status of new hires within three business days from when the worker is hired. He said the intent of the ordinance is to protect employers and to stimulate employment of people legally entitled to work in the United States.

PLAIN CITY, Utah (AP)-Race Parsons amassed 21 points and eight boards and Kaden King added 19 more points as the South Sevier Rams pummeled the Fremont Silverwolves, 65-50 Tuesday in non-region boys basketball action.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)-Ty Bartholomew posted 23 points and the Gunnison Bulldogs overpowered the Juab Wasps, 63-52 in non-region boys basketball action Tuesday. Brayden Kaae had 15 points in the loss for Juab.

GRANTSVILLE, Utah (AP)-Brady Aste had 19 points and Jamen Miller stepped up with 18 more as the Manti Templars shellacked the Grantsville Cowboys, 57-31 Tuesday in non-region boys basketball action. Dalen Erickson had 17 points in the loss for the Cowboys.

MONROE, Utah (AP)-Hattie Snyder had 11 points and the Beaver Lady Beavers stymied the South Sevier Lady Rams, 34-26 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday. Shantae Dustin had seven points in the loss for the Lady Rams.

DELTA, Utah (AP)-Alyssa Johnson and Kennedy Springer had 11 points apiece as the Delta Lady Rabbits stonewalled the Canyon View Lady Falcons, 38-24 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action at the Palladium.

KANAB, Utah (AP)-Kaytee Glover amassed 30 points and six assists while Calli Jackson had 29 points and 17 boards as the Kanab Cowgirls crushed the Hurricane Lady Tigers, 71-48 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday.

DRAPER, Utah (AP)-Dominique Mills had 12 points and 18 rebounds as the Juan Diego Lady Soaring Eagle gashed the Juab Lady Wasps, 57-39 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Tessa Bradford had 14 points in defeat for Juab.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)-Whitney Coleman keyed a balanced scoring attack with 13 points and the Wayne Lady Badgers mauled the Manti Lady Templars, 57-36 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday. Jessica Lund had eight points in defeat for Manti.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)-Mariah Dotson had 16 points and the Milford Lady Tigers got past the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs, 38-32 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action.

HEBER CITY, Utah (AP)-Arylynn Robinson’s 18 points led the way as the Wasatch Lady Wasps steamrolled the North Sanpete Lady Hawks, 59-37 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday. Keisha Jorgensen had 10 points in the loss for North Sanpete.

PRICE, Utah (AP)-McKelle Lajeunesse had 10 points and the Richfield Lady Wildcats outlasted the Carbon Lady Dinos, 44-40 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing Wednesday night to gain input on a proposal to amend the water share requirement of the Annexation Policy of the General Plan for the city. Planning members say the commission will discuss the policy and possibly make a motion to pass the measure at the meeting. The public is invited to attend the hearing and offer comment. The meeting will be held Wednesday at 7pm at the Richfield City Council Chambers.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Mike Lee may sue the Federal Election Commission for denying his request to form a SuperPAC. In a statement released today, Lee said he believes his constitutional rights of freedom of speech may have been violated by the FEC. Lee cited a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court case where a conservative group, called Citizens United, produced a 90-minute movie attacking Hillary Clinton, who was running for president. The FEC said showing the movie broke campaign finance laws but the High Court said a citizen not affiliated with a campaign, can say or spend whatever he wants. Lee said the same should apply to politicians who have the right to form SuperPAC’s, as long as they don’t spend the money on their own campaigns.

(AURORA) – A Pleasant Grove man escaped injury after crashing into a power pole on SR-24 at the Clay Plant near Aurora Saturday morning. A Sevier County Sheriff’s report said that 39-year old Robert Bigelow was traveling southbound when he lost control of his vehicle on the icy road and went through a delineator post, hitting a power pole. The report said the impact knocked out power to local residents at about 6:30am. Deputies said Bigelow was traveling about 50 miles-per-hour when he hit the pole. He was not injured in the accident and Rocky Mountain Power crews restored power after replacing the pole.

SANDY, Utah (AP)-Breon Allen ran for 134 yards and three scores on only 14 carries, earning offensive MVP awards at the Top of the Mountains Bowl as the Snow Badgers ended the season on a high note with a 36-9 rout of WSFL rival Eastern Arizona.

Alamoti Vaenuku added a 43-yard scoring run for Snow while Jon Hess nailed a 32-yard field goal in the blowout victory for the Badgers.

Snow ends the season with a record of 9-3.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Utah health professionals have joined an access coalition in opposition to the merger of national pharmaceutical companies that may increase prescription costs and limit choice. Utah Representative Evan Vickers of Cedar City, who owns two local pharmacies, says even though Express Scripts and Medco say their merger won’t hurt local pharmacies, past precedent says otherwise. Vickers is joined by other health professionals in the state and the group, Preserve Community Pharmacy Access Now Coalition, to fight against the merger. The group met with Sen. Mike Lee in Washington D.C. Thursday to ask the senator for help in asking the federal government to deny the merger. Vickers said Lee is a good attorney who looks deeply into issues that affect small business operations.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – All 100 U.S. Senators voted last night in favor of an amendment to sanction the Central Bank of Iran. Sen. Mike Lee co-sponsored S.A. 1414 to prohibit foreign financial institutions that conduct transactions with the Central Bank of Iran, from opening or maintaining correspondent bank accounts in the Unite States. Lee said the bill is in response to the illicit activities of the Government of Iran, including its pursuit of nuclear weapons, support for international terrorism and efforts to deceive responsible financial institutions and evade sanctions.

NEW YORK (AP)-Per the Twitter accounts of New York Times beat writer Howard Beck and ESPN.com NBA writer Marc Stein, the NBA will announce its amended schedule for the 2011-12 NBA season Tuesday evening at 5:00 p.m. MST.

It is not yet certain whether Mid-Utah Radio stations, KMTI-AM 650 and KSVC-AM 980 will pick up the Utah Jazz this season but please remember we will have all the information available for you on midutahradio.com from Tuesday on.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Megan Bean posted 18 points and nine boards and the Richfield Lady Wildcats edged the Delta Lady Rabbits, 44-43 Thursday in non-region girls basketball action. TaNeil Clayton had 10 points in the loss for Delta.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)-Macail Wood led all scorers with 13 points and the Beaver Lady Beavers downed the Hurricane Lady Tigers, 47-38 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)-Madison Alger and Tara Shipp had 12 points apiece and the Cedar Lady Reds edged the Kanab Cowgirls, 51-48 Thursday in non-region girls basketball action. Calli Jackson and Kaytee Glover each had 17 points to pace Kanab in the loss.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Keri Brunson posted 13 points and Jaisha Wilcox stepped up with 12 more as the Millard Lady Eagles smacked the North Sevier Lady Wolves, 55-36 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday. Kelsey Barney’s 17 points led the way for North Sevier in defeat.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Mike Lee is co-sponsoring legislation that will create 20,000 American jobs. The North American Energy Security Act would authorize the construction of the Keystone X-L pipeline. Lee said the pipeline will be the next step in reducing dependence on oil imported from nations that are unstable, undemocratic and often outright hostile to the United States. He said it’s more preferable to buy from our neighbors to the north. Lee commented that the pipeline is a job-creating project that’s truly “shovel-ready.”

(LAVERKIN) – Three adults escaped their LaVerkin home after a fast-moving fire destroyed the structure early this morning. Hurricane Fire and Rescue Chief Tom Kuhlmann said the blaze was reported about 2:20am at 60 East 460 North. Crews arrived at the residence to find the manufactured home and four vehicles in the garage fully engulfed in flames. The fire department said the fire was fanned by 25-mile-per-hour winds and completely destroyed the buildings. Rocky Mountain Power crews also arrived at the scene to restore power after a brief cut-off during the fire. The American Red Cross was on hand to help with the displaced occupants of the home. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

(ST. GEORGE) – A St. George businessman is using the Internet to fight fraud charges against him by the Federal Trade Commission. In a news article, one-time multimillionaire, Jeremy Johnson, went on the offensive against what he sees as “dirty deeds by big government.” On the website evilftc.com, Johnson targets FTC attorneys in their investigation of his company, iWorks, for luring Internet consumers into “trial” memberships for bogus government grants and moneymaking schemes and then repeatedly charging fees on their credit cards for programs consumers didn’t sign up for. The FTC claims Johnson pocketed more than $275 million on the transactions. Johnson says the allegations are false and has documentation proving that he and his partners are innocent of the charges. On Sunday, Johnson was arrested on an outstanding warrant for allegedly writing more than $100,000 in bad checks at a Las Vegas casino.

(ST. GEORGE) – The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a female prison inmate at the Purgatory Correctional Facility. Sheriff Chief Deputy Jake Schultz reported that 41-year old Natalie Hansen of Bluffdale was booked into the prison early Saturday morning and died the next afternoon. Prison officials are treating the case as a possible suicide. Schultz said Hansen’s cellmate had been sleeping and alerted prison guards when Hansen was unresponsive and not breathing. EMT’s eventually found a pulse but Hansen was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George. Sheriff officials suspect no foul play related to her death and was booked for outstanding warrants of suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia and intoxication. A full investigation continues.

PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)-Dalan Bennett had 18 points while MaKade Christensen and Tyce Barney had 17 apiece as the Panguitch Bobcats held off the Enterprise Wolves, 59-56 Wednesday in non-region boys basketball action. Ryan West had 15 points in the loss for the Wolves.

GRANTSVILLE, Utah (AP)-Brayden Kaae posted 13 points and the Juab Wasps got past the Grantsville Cowboys, 42-36 in non-region boys basketball action Wednesday.

MANTI, Utah (AP)-Jamen Miller amassed 20 points and the Manti Templars hammered Maeser Prep 70-26 in non-region boys basketball action Wednesday.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Jordan Kemp had 12 points and the Richfield Wildcats ousted the Millard Eagles, 49-37 Wednesday in non-region boys basketball action. Joel Swallow had 23 points to lead all scorers in the loss for the Eagles.

MONROE, Utah (AP)-Race Parsons led all scorers with 26 points and the South Sevier Rams pummeled the North Sanpete Hawks, 68-52 in non-region boys basketball action Wednesday. Jake Bailey had 22 points to pace the Hawks in the loss.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)-Dalllon Blackner had 13 points and eight boards and the Beaver Beavers edged the Piute Thunderbirds, 51-47 Wednesday in non-region boys basketball action. Ty Jessen had 16 points in the loss for Piute.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate that would prevent any American citizen from being held indefinitely by the military without trial. In support of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, Sen. Mike Lee said the U.S. government does not have the authority to detain an American citizen indefinitely without the constitutional process. He said the amendment ensures the proper balance between individual liberty and national security and maintains both a free and secure nation. Congress is expected to vote this week on the NDAA package.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – A Senate Judiciary committee is holding a hearing today on the Balanced Budget Amendment prior to a future vote in Congress. In a radio teleconference, Sen. Mike Lee said the committee should move toward passage of the amendment because it’s sound policy. Lee said interest on the federal government’s $15 trillion dollar deficit stands at $200 billion and if the BBA is not passed by Congress, the interest on the debt would skyrocket to $1 trillion over the next ten years. Lee said at that level, the debt would be unsustainable and the financial economy of the U.S. would collapse.

(MT. PLEASANT) – Two Sanpete County men were arrested for selling illegal “Spice” at their smoke shop in Mt. Pleasant. The Sanpete-Juab Major Crimes Task Force, along with other law enforcement agencies, conducted an investigation for several weeks, on the Puf-n-Stuff Smoke Shop in Mt. Pleasant, located at 509 West Main and found a substance known as “Potpourri.” Investigators say that “Potpourri” is similar to controlled substances that are illegal in the Utah State criminal code. Those arrested, included the owner of the smoke shop, 54-year old Stephen Kunik of Mt. Pleasant and 21-year old Scotty Eliason of Ft. Green. Police said the pair had been selling “Spice” for some time to high school-aged boys and at one time, told an undercover detective that police would shut down the shop if they knew the substance was being sold. Kunik was arrested on four counts of distribution of a controlled substance in a drug-free zone and booked on a $50,000 bail. Eliason was arrested on similar charges and booked on a $40,000 bail. Both men are awaiting trial in the Sanpete County Jail.

(PAROWAN)-The Iron County Nominating Commission has selected three nominees for an upcoming vacancy in the Parowan Justice Court, KCSG-TV in St. George reports.

The position will replace Judge Kenneth H. Adams, whose resignation was effective September 30.

Nominees include the Honorable Brett A. Dunlap, an Enoch-based Iron County Justice Court judge, James M. McElfresh II, with Veterans Angels LLC of Parowan and M. Thomas Mitchell of the Cedar City-based Mitchell, Reese & Thomas LLC.

A comment period will occur through December 8 before a final candidate is selected by Parowan Mayor Donald B. Landes, who will have 30 days to make an appointment, which is subject to ratification by the Parowan City Council.

The Utah Judicial Council must then certify the appointment.

(ST. GEORGE)-The Salt Lake Tribune reports a St. George woman who allegedly hit a pedestrian with her car and fled the premises in June has been charged with leaving the scene.

The woman was charged November 22 in 5th District Court with one count of failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving serious injury, a third-degree felony, and one count of failure to stay in one lane, a Class C misdemeanor.

The victim of the hit-and-run accident, 59-year-old St. George resident Marva Cutler, is still recovering from injuries, police stated.

Initially, Cutler was flown to University Medical Center in Las Vegas in critical conditions, but doctors were optimistic about her eventual recovery.

Cutler was struck while jogging in the early morning near 3100 Little Valley Road in the newly-developed southeastern sector of the city.

Authorities said they had learned the driver had spoken with officers at the scene but did not discuss her involvement while she left the scene, but later called police to acknowledge her role in the accident.

(ZION NATIONAL PARK)-Studies show the California condor continues to suffer from lead poisonings, shootings and human interaction since they were introduced in southern Utah and northern Arizona nearly two decades ago, with little more than half of those released into the wild still surviving.

Efforts have continued to increase their numbers, with the goal of having two geographically separate populations of 150 birds each, one occurring in California, and the other along the Utah and Arizona border, in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument area, near Fredonia, Ariz.

Biologists and public land managers believe these numbers should include at least 15 breeding pairs.

Comments concerning the matter will be accepted through December 16 via email to SWCondorcomments@fws.gov or can be hand mailed to Field Supervisor, Arizona Ecological Services Office, 2321 W. Royal Palm Road, Suite 103 Phoenix, Arizona 85021-4951 and can be faxed to 1-602-242-2513.

Condors were first placed on the endangered species list in 1967, mate for life and can live up to 50 years.

Presently, there are 73 free-flying condors in the southern Utah/northern Arizona region, including seven wild-fledged birds.

(NEW YORK)-While the new NBA collective bargaining agreement still needs to be ratified by owners and players, a process which is expected to be completed next week, league spokesman Tim Frank said teams have been informed they may open their doors to players Thursday.

A similar thing happened this past summer when the NFL lockout ended in theory July 25, while the CBA was not ratified until August 4.

Teams have been informed that they may host “voluntary player workouts” and physicals in advance of the planned December 9 opening of training camps.

However, coaches and front office officials have not been allowed to attend the workouts until the ratification of the CBA, which has been proposed to last for 10 years, again comparable to the NFL’s newly-inked agreement.

Additionally, agents have commenced talking to teams concerning their clients as of early Wednesday morning but deals cannot be offered, yet another dynamic that can only begin under the new CBA’s parameters.

(LAS VEGAS)-The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports conservation groups and others are asking a Nevada state official to deny a proposal to pump groundwater from eastern Nevada and subsequently pipe it to Las Vegas.

Tuesday, the Center for Biological Diversity announced it sent more than 21,000 comments to Nevada State Engineer Jason King in opposition to the project, pioneered by the Las Vegas-based Southern Nevada Water Authority.

The group also said it will submit the comments to the water board Wednesday.

Friday is the deadline for written comments following the November 18 conclusion of weeks of hearings on the massive pipeline plan.

The water authority wants to siphon water from four valleys in Lincoln and White Pine Counties in eastern Nevada and pipe it roughly 300 miles to Las Vegas.

The Review-Journal reported King’s decision is expected by March.

(OMAHA, Neb.)-Wednesday, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway said it is buying the Omaha World Herald-Co. and will expand the firm’s newspaper holdings notwithstanding his Buffett’s misgivings about the industry.

Omaha-based Berkshire said it had agreed to buy Buffett’s hometown newspaper while terms of the deal, which must be approved by the Omaha World-Herald’s employee owners and other shareholders, were not disclosed.

The deal also consists of daily newspapers the Omaha World-Herald owns in Council Bluffs, Iowa and Grand Island, Neb., York, Neb., Kearney, Neb., North Platte, Neb. and Scottsbluff, Neb.

Wednesday, Buffett did not immediately respond to an interview request while previously Berkshire’s chairman and chief executive said he would be unlikely to add its newspaper investments because of the industry’s dwindling returns.

Presently, Berkshire owns the Buffalo (N.Y.) News and has a significant investment in the Washington Post Co.

Two years ago, Buffett told Berkshire shareholders most newspapers face the possibility of unending losses as the industry had lost its essential nature.

However, Wednesday, Buffett stated the World-Herald Co. is in better shape than most newspapers.

(TULSA, Okla.)-The Associated Press reports horses may soon be butchered in the U.S. for human consumption after Congress quietly repealed a 5-year-old ban on funding horse meat inspections and activists say slaughterhouses may be up and running in as little as a month.

Slaughter opponents pushed a measure cutting off funding for horse meat inspections through Congress in 2006 after other efforts to pass outright bans on horse slaughter failed in previous years.

Congress lifted the bill in a spending bill President Barack Obama signed into law November 18 to keep the government afloat until mid-December.

Tuesday, the USDA issued a statement saying there are no slaughterhouses in the U.S. butchering horses for human consumption presently, but if one were to open, it could conduct inspections to ensure federal law was being followed.

USDA spokesman Neil Gaffney declined to answer any questions beyond what was already in the statement.

The last U.S. slaughterhouse that butchered horses closed in 2007 in Illinois while animal welfare activists warned of massive public outcry in any town where a slaughterhouse may open.

U.S. Representative, Democrat Jim Moran of Virginia, stated he is lobbying colleagues to permanently ban horse slaughter as he believes the process to be inhumane.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-According to recently published information from the Utah Office of Tourism, tourism revenues are up in the state.

Records show in 2010 that total spending from travelers and tourists in Utah climbed 4.7 percent in 2010 to $6.53 billion.

Total direct sales and local taxes generated by traveler spending were up 4.4 percent to $841 million in 2010, including $500 million in state taxes and $341 million in local areas, according to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.

Additionally, the domestic and international visitors also jumped to 20.2 million last year, representing an increase of 4.2 percent.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert was pleased with the figures and said he expects tourism to grow as everyone becomes more aware of what Utah has to offer to visitors.

Information released by the state also depicts travel and recreation-related employment accounted for 122,839 jobs in 2010, a 2.2 percent increase from the previous year.

The data also indicated that visitation at Utah’s national and state parks last year grew at a clip of 1.2 percent for national parks and 1.3 percent for state parks, respectively.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson informed KSL-TV in Salt Lake City he is running for the U.S. presidency and will begin a new political party.

The outspoken Anderson made his plans known Tuesday evening on his Facebook page while also asking for suggestions on what to name a new political party he was pioneering, asking fans and friends to vote on several choices before Wednesday morning.

The Facebook account confirms Anderson said the party will stand for “great economic quality, an end to wars of aggression, aggressive action on climate protection, and an end to corporate control of government.”

Anderson was a longtime Democrat who has now disavowed affiliation with the party.

Within the past month, Anderson has appeared with protesters during the Occupy SLC movement.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Utah Bureau of Land Management is seeking nominations to the Resource Advisory Committee. BLM officials say public nominations are being accepted to fill one three-year position on the RAC, comprised of holders of state, county or local elected offices, Indian tribes and employees of state agencies responsible for management of natural resources. Officials say the RAC gives Utah residents who are interested in the management of public lands an opportunity to become directly involved with implementing procedures to control resources. Nominees are evaluated on their education, training and experience with issues involving public lands in Utah. Nominations can be submitted online at www.utah.gov.

(HANKSVILLE) – A 25-year old college student had to be rescued from the Dirty Devil River in Wayne County early Thanksgiving morning after getting stuck in quicksand for eight hours. Deputies said that at about 4pm Wednesday, dispatch was notified from an emergency alert beacon that the man needed help after getting stuck in the thick, mucky mud in the Robber’s Roost area. A Wayne County Sheriff’s report said after several attempts by Search and Rescue, along with EMS personnel, a helicopter was called in to airlift the man out of the mud at about 2am Thursday. Deputies said he was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield for minor exposure. The victim was with a group of college students enrolled in the National Outdoor Leadership School, who were on a 25-day survival expedition. The group had traversed the river several times during the trip with no incident.

(AXTELL) – A Centerfield man critically injured in a tractor-semi accident near Axtell Thanksgiving morning is improving at a Provo hospital. Public Communications personnel at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center say that 22-year old Eric Rico is listed in serious but stable condition. A UHP report said that Rico was driving a 2010 K-A tractor with a forklift at about 8am last Thursday, when he slowed on the highway and was rearended by a 2007 Kenworth semi, driven by 55-year old Roger Orton of Richfield. The report said Orton didn’t see Rico in his lane when he hit him. UHP said both vehicles exited the highway and Rico was ejected from his tractor. Rico was lifeflighted to the hospital in critical condition but has since improved. Orton was treated at the Gunnison Valley Hospital with unknown injuries.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Dozens of soldiers from the 222nd Field Artillery Unit continue to return home from their tours of duty in the Middle East. Eleven members of the Triple Deuce arrived at the Salt Lake International Airport on Monday and more will follow in time to be with their families for Christmas. The 222nd is based in Cedar City and expands its operations through South-Central Utah to Salt Lake City.

(RICHFIELD) – The subject of ownership of a road in Sevier County came up at the County Commission meeting Monday. Joseph resident Doug Nowell approached Commissioners on who owns a road that extends to his property from Highway 4 along Clear Creek on I-70. He said he’s been maintaining the road for 40 years. Nowell said he was informed by forest service officials that he is not allowed to perform any upgrades to the road because he doesn’t own it. He said his family bought the property in 1968 and has spent nearly $6,000 to maintain the road that was damaged when water came rushing down Clear Creek Canyon last spring. Commissioners determined to meet with the forest service to find out who owns the road.

(RICHFIELD) – A discussion over mosquito abatement procedures in Sevier County escalated to a heated argument between a Salina resident and the program manager during a Commission meeting today. Elaine Bonavita of Salina approached Commissioners during a public comment period to opt out of mosquito spraying in her neighborhood, saying it harms her health and the health of others. Mosquito Abatement Manager John Johnson countered by saying he obtained permission from the owner of the mobile home park where Bonavita lives, to spray for mosquitoes. Johnson said 34 people live in the mobile home park, located at 300 North 400 West in Salina and all of them approve of the spraying, except for Bonavita. Bonavita disagreed and began yelling during the meeting, then walked out. County Commissioners said cities in the county pay for mosquito abatement and the county has an obligation to spray to abate the threat of West Nile Virus.

(MONROE) – The Monroe City Fire Department responded to a garage fire at the residence of Larell Bagley on Saturday. A Sevier County Sheriff’s report said Bagley and his son had been working in the garage earlier in the day and had an air compressor and a heat gun plugged into the outlet. The Fire Marshall said the outlet overheated and ignited a fire, causing about $15,000 in damage. The residence is located at 200 South 37 West in Monroe. Officials said most of the fire was confined to the garage but fire crews said smoke did get into the house. The Fire Department was able to quickly douse the flames to keep them from spreading.

(REDMOND) – A Redmond family is mourning the theft of part of their nativity scene over the weekend. According to a Sevier County Sheriff’s report, someone took the Jesus figure from the Gordon Johnson’s yard on Saturday. Deputies said the figurine was valued at $100 and have no leads as to who stole the object. The sheriff’s office is asking the public for help in apprehending the suspects.

(HANKSVILLE) – An outdoor school director says the man who was rescued from quicksand near Hanksville last week became an opportunity for students to learn emergency training. Bruce Palmer, Director of admissions and marketing for the National Outdoor Leadership School, said when Robert Tesar was pulled out of quicksand-like-mud along the Dirty Devil River early Thursday morning, it became a practical experience that instructs individuals pursuing careers in outdoor education or guiding. Sheriff’s reports said Tesar, along with three students, were on the 23rd day of a 25-day canyonlands hiking training, when he stepped into the river on Wednesday and got stuck in ankle-deep mud in the Robber’s Roost area. The report said the students attempted to pull Tesar from the mud but were unsuccessful. A helicopter was eventually called to airlift the man to safety, after being stuck up to his waist for nearly 13 hours. Palmer said the students supplied Tesar with warm drinks and food to stave off the frigid overnight temperatures until he was rescued at about 2am Thursday.

(CEDAR CITY) – The main route through Cedar Breaks National Monument has been closed for the winter. Officials with the Utah Department of Transportation say SR-148 is the main road through the Monument and the resort town of Brian Head. UDOT said the annual closure has been announced due to deep snow in Iron County and because the road became the alternate route when SR-14 was closed because of a mudslide that damaged a large portion of the highway. Officials say SR-14 east of Cedar City will remain closed until summer or until crews are able to repair the damaged highway. UDOT says SR-143, connecting Cedar Breaks and Panguitch, will remain open throughout the winter except during heavy snows and periods of blowing snow.

(RICHFIELD) – A tree-lighting ceremony was held at the Richfield City Park Friday night to pay tribute to soldiers in the 222nd Field Artillery Unit. Organizer Gwen Jensen said the whole community pulled together to raise money to sponsor the event. Jensen said a little over $1,000 was collected to help pay for costs to light the tree, which is located at the southeast corner of the Freedom Stage. She said the tree-lighting ceremony will be held annually to pay tribute to our soldiers in the 222nd or at least until all soldiers return home from wars in the Middle East.

(AXTELL) – A Centerfield man was lifeflighted to a Provo hospital in critical condition after his tractor was struck by a semi on SR-89 near Axtell Thursday morning. According to a UHP report, 22-year old Eric Rico was driving a 2010 K-A tractor with a forklift at about 8am and had slowed on the highway, when he was rearended by a 2007 Kenworth semi, driven by 55-year Roger Orton of Richfield. The report said Orton didn’t see the tractor in his lane when he hit it. UHP said both vehicles went off the right shoulder of the highway and the impact rolled Rico’s tractor, ejecting him. Rico was not seatbelted and was airlifted to the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo with critical injuries and Orton was taken to the Gunnison Valley Hospital with unknown injuries.

(PHOENIX)-The Arizona Republic reports the six passengers aboard a small plane that crashed in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix have been confirmed as dead, stated Pinal County (Ariz.) Sheriff Paul Babeu.

Those aboard the small twin-engine plane included 31-year-old aircraft owner Russell Hardy, 22-year-old mechanic Joseph Hardwick, 39-year-old pilot Shawn Perry and Perry’s three children, 9-year-old Morgan, 8-year-old Logan and 6-year-old Luke.

Babeu said as of Thursday afternoon, the cause of the crash had not been identified and federal investigators were still in the process of traveling to the valley.

Perry and his children were traveling from Safford, Ariz. for Thanksgiving, stated Pinal County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Elias Johnson.

The Rockwell AC69 twin engine plane departed Falcon Field of Mesa, Ariz. at 6:15 p.m. MST Wednesday evening while an explosion at the southwest portion of the Superstition Mountains was reported at 6:31 p.m., Babeu stated.

Babeu estimated the plane was traveling at about 200 mph at the time of the collision while this speed, combined with reports of a fiery explosion and the amount of debris on the scene, compelled Pinal County officials to believe all passengers were dead.

Safford-based Ponderosa Aviation, for whom Perry flew, declined comment Wednesday evening, saying it was not ready to delve into the situation.

Members of the public seeking to assist with funeral expenses may donate to the Perry family via the funeral fund at the Gold Canyon Bank, 6641 S. Kings Ranch Road #2, Gold Canyon, Ariz. 85118.

(CHEYENNE, Wyo.)-Wednesday, Wyoming Governor Matt Mead and other top Wyoming officials took issue with a court ruling to keep grizzly bears in the Yellowstone region on the federal endangered species list, with some saying the state could appeal in hopes of obtaining jurisdiction over bear management.

Many Wyoming residents, such as outfitters and cattlemen, say the state must take over grizzly bear management to allow controlled hunting that would reduce the bear population.

However, some environmentalists say public opinion throughout the nation goes against allowing sport hunting of these major predators.

A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from turning the management of grizzly bears over to Wyoming and other states in the region while the judges stated the future of bears is uncertain as whitebark pine trees, which provide nuts for the bears, are in decline.

A Mead spokesman, Renny McKay, stated Tuesday’s ruling troubles the Wyoming governor as population goals for the bears have been met while there are an estimated 600 grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Region, which consists of Yellowstone National Park and adjoining lands in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Mead has expressed disappointment concerning the court’s ruling on the matter and will evaluate the state’s options in the next few weeks, McKay said.

Deputy Attorney General Jay Jerde said the state’s options may also entail asking the appeals court to reconsider, appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, or enabling the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to come up with another plan to delist the grizzlies.

The Bozeman, Mont.-based Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a conservation group, filed the lawsuit against ending these federal protections for grizzlies which led to Tuesday’s ruling.

Meanwhile, Louisa Wilcox of the Resources Defense Council of Livingston, Mont. said game managers in Wyoming already have “considerable authority” to assist ranchers and others who deal with bears which may pose a threat.

Wilcox’s group filed papers with the appeals court on the whitebark pine matter.

(ST. GEORGE)-A southern Utah judge has found the former spokesman for the polygamous sect led by jailed leader Warren Jeffs guilty of a contempt of court charge for failing to show up for a pair of hearings.

Fifth District Court Judge G. Rand Beacham issued the ruling against William “Willie” R. Jessop Wednesday according to a report in the St. George Spectrum.

Previously, Beacham had issued a $15,000 warrant for Jessop’s arrest while he had paid the fine prior to Wednesday’s hearing and remains free.

While in court, Jessop told Beacham he had been in Europe for speaking engagements and was not aware of a September court date while Jessop also missed a hearing in June.

The contempt charge was specifically related to the June hearing and Beacham set no date for sentencing nor indicate what punishment will be inflicted.

The missed hearings were to settle financial issues related to a 2008 legal dispute between Jessop and Cedar City-based private investigator Sam Brower, who has worked on several cases tied to Jeffs’ prosecution.

Jessop sought a restraining order against Brower, claiming the investigator had trespassed on his property, once with a television news crew and had frightened Jessop’s children while harassing employees of his excavation business.

Brower denied all of these allegations and in 2008, informed The Associated Press Jessop was angry about Brower’s role in a San Angelo, Texas child welfare case which involved one of Jeffs’ daughters.

Eventually, the court ruled Jessop did not have sufficient evidence to support a restraining order while Brower sued for payment of legal expenses and emerged victorious.

Wednesday, attorney Adam Caldwell stated Jessop is willing to pay the nearly $11,800 owed to Brower.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-University of Utah assistant professor of biology Richard Clark is part of an international research team whose intent is to eradicate a tiny organism which has become a pest throughout the world.

The impetus of the research is to decode the genetic blueprint of the two-spotted spider mite which notoriously resists pesticides and destroys crops and ornamental plants around the globe.

The voracious mites have traditionally devoured more than 1,100 plant species while research has revealed and sequenced the creature’s genome containing a variety of genes capable of detoxifying pesticides as well as natural toxins plants use to defend themselves.

The findings were published in the November 24 issue of renowned science journal Nature.

Clark said these organisms are often house pests and play a major role in people’s plants turning yellow and eventually dying while their invasive nature also spreads to agricultural nurseries and greenhouses as well as field crops, such as tomatoes, peppers and strawberries.

The spider mite is roughly a millimeter long and is considered a major worldwide pest and if alleged global warming should continue to play a significant role in the world’s climate, it swiftly multiplies at 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

The study was conducted by an international research team of 55 scientists from North America, Europe and South America.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Bureau of Land Management has announced a 30-day comment period on the Cedar and Onaqui Mountain Wild Horse Herd Management Areas. BLM says an Environmental Assessment on the HMA’s will be conducted for the capture, treat and release of wild horses on public lands. BLM plans to contain 469 wild horses from the vicinity of the Cedar Mountain and Onaqui Mountain HMA’s beginning around mid-February 2012. The comment period for the EA on the program will continue until Dec. 27, 2011.

(PRICE) – Forest officials say that all Christmas tree permits at the Sanpete District Office are sold out. Officials say that permits are also sold out at Choice Hardware and Home Center in Nephi but permits can still be purchased at Beck’s Home Furnishings in Mt. Pleasant and Rasmussen’s Ace Hardware in Gunnison for the Sanpete District on the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Cutting permits can also be purchased at the Ferron-Price District Office.

(KANAB) – A young farmer and rancher from Kanab has won the Utah Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Discussion Meet that was held in Layton last week. Convention organizers awarded 29-year old John Reese the top honor for providing the best answers on questions concerning agricultural issues of today. Reese said if it wasn’t for his wife, Dusty, he might not have won the award. Reese, representing the Kane County Farm Bureau, competed with more than 18 contestants from around the state, answering questions on renewable energy policies as a benefit to American agriculture, communicating the needs of agricultural animals to the public and the role agriculture plays in addressing health and obesity issues. He received a $500 check from General Motors, a plaque and a 2011 Polaris Trailboss ATV. Reese will also participate in an all-expense paid trip to Honoululu, Hawaii to attend the American Farm Bureau Federal annual meeting.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Cash Newby amassed 19 points and Taylor Allen stepped up with 14 more as the Piute Thunderbirds stormed past the Millard Eagles, 54-38 Tuesday in non-region boys basketball action. Jesse Rhodes had 11 points in the loss for Millard.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)-Tyler Anderson posted 17 points and the Richfield Wildcats edged the Canyon View Falcons, 45-41 in non-region boys basketball action Tuesday. Chad Corry had 17 points in defeat for the Falcons.

ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP)-Elizabeth Thompson had 15 points and the Dixie Lady Flyers edged the Kanab Cowgirls, 32-30 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Whitney Houston posted 15 points in defeat for Kanab.

MILFORD, Utah (AP)-Keri Brunson led the way with 14 points as the Millard Lady Eagles edged the Milford Lady Tigers, 42-38 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday.

SALINA, Utah (AP)-Kelsey Barney posted 21 points and six boards and the North Sevier Lady Wolves ousted the Parowan Lady Rams, 47-36 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Chennin Benson had 16 points and 10 rebounds in the loss for Parowan.

DELTA, Utah (AP)-Brooke Hare and Kennedy Springer had 14 points apiece and the Delta Lady Rabbits downed the Stansbury Lady Stallions, 51-41 Tuesday at the Palladium in non-region girls basketball action.

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)-Ashley Nuttall and Keisha Jorgensen had 15 points apiece and the North Sanpete Lady Hawks stormed past the Union Lady Cougars, 59-41 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Rachel Roberts had 9 points and the Beaver Lady Beavers edged the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs, 32-30 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action at the Sevier Valley Center. Whitni Syrett’s 10 points paced Bryce Valley in defeat.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Gov. Gary Herbert is skeptical of a plan to earmark state sales taxes for a fund that would finance a Lake Powell water pipeline project. At his monthly news conference, Herbert said he’s opposed to earmarks of any kind but said he would review details of the plan before taking a position. Some lawmakers plan to send 15% of the future growth in sales-tax revenues to a water development fund making revolving loans. Herbert says he thinks the Legislature needs to have the flexibility to address the budget based on the circumstances they find themselves in each legislative session. Last year, the governor vetoed a bill earmarking 30% of sales-tax growth to road projects but the Legislature over-road the veto. The move means new revenues expected this year will not be available for general needs. The expected $1 billion Lake Powell project will supply water to St. George for planned population growth.

(RICHFIELD) – The Utah Department of Public Safety is declaring this week as “Zero Tolerance” for unbuckled motorists. Troopers with the Utah Highway Patrol will be out in force for the traveling Thanksgiving weekend to enforce the “Click-It Or Ticket” campaign. UHP Information Officers around the state say the goal is to get more motorists to fasten their seatbelts while traveling on Utah’s highways. Statistics show that nearly 300,000 Utah motorists still fail to regularly wear their seatbelts. Research indicates that many people who continue to ride unprotected are risk takers, including young, male, nighttime motorists, or are child passengers in vehicles driven by an unbuckled adult. The Department of Public Safety will issue $100 incentive awards to UHP sections that report no fatalities during the holiday period.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Mike Lee has asked the Federal Elections Commission for permission to allow his Constitutional Conservatives Fund to act as a super political action committee but a campaign finance watchdog group says it’s illegal. Rep. Paul Ryan at the Campaign Legal Center says the law forbids elected officials from soliciting donations beyond the legal contribution limits. Under current law, Lee’s fund can raise only $5,000 per individual per year. Lee countered Ryan’s assertions by saying it’s not illegal to accept big-dollar checks from donors, as long as legislators don’t spend it on their own campaigns. Lee said there’s more than 230 Super PAC’s in the country, including Priorities USA, who support Barack Obama and Restore Our Future, who support Mitt Romney. Lee noted it’s only fair to allow other elected officials the ability to raise larger amounts of money from corporate sponsors that support like-minded candidates.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – A bill sponsored by Rep. Jason Chaffetz concerning the sale of government surplus property has passed a House Reform Committee. In a statement, Chaffetz said H.R. 665 would streamline the disposal of properties owned by the federal government, while also overhauling the existing disposal process. Chaffetz said the federal government is the largest single holder of real property in the United States with more than 900,000 buildings and structures. The Government Accountability Office estimated the feds hold 45,000 underutilized properties that cost nearly $1.7 billion annually to operate. GAO officials say property managed by the federal government is a high-risk area. Chaffetz said he hopes the full House passes his legislation.

(CEDAR CITY) – Iron County Commissioners plan several public hearings on Monday concerning changes in zoning ordinances and amendments. The first hearing will be held at 11am on Nov. 28 for the re-zoning of agricultural property and the second hearing will be held at 11:15am concerning geological suitability for legal lots of record. At 11:30am, Commissioners will entertain public comment concerning amendments to codes and at 1:30pm, a hearing will be held on the expected amount of CDBG funds for a wide range of projects throughout the county. The public is invited to attend any and all meetings and offer comment. The hearings will be held at the Iron County Courthouse in Parowan.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Utah Bureau of Land Management has released the total bonus bids at their quarterly oil and gas lease sale. Last week, the BLM sold 11 of the 13 offered parcels totaling $49.4 million for 8,271 acres. The Bill Barrett Corp. submitted the highest total bid per acre at $12,100 on a parcel containing 811 acres located in the BLM Price Field Office. The highest total bid per parcel was submitted by XTO Energy of Houston, TX. at $18.6 million containing 1751 acres located in the Price office. BLM officials said leases are issued with conditions that all oil and gas activities on public lands will protect the environment.

(SPRING CITY) – A Spring City couple were displaced from their home Sunday morning after their attic caught fire. Fire department officials said Ralph Porter’s wife was asleep on the couch when she was awakened by a neighbor who called to say her roof was on fire. She was able to escape from the home with no injuries but her attic will need to be replaced. Fire crews from Spring City, Mt. Pleasant and Fairview responded at about 9am and put out the fire. Investigators said combustible material had been placed against the chimney area in the attic and it caught fire from the heat. Fire crews said most of the damage was in the attic area but water damage was also done to the home located at 191 East Center in Spring City.

(CASTLE DALE) – Emery County residents are invited to a public hearing Tuesday morning concerning bonds to finance water improvement projects throughout the county. County Commissioners say two bond issues will be addressed at the hearing, including at least $400,000 in Taxable General Obligation Bonds and another $400,000 in Water Revenue Bonds that need to be established, including the financing of water meters, related improvements and costs of issuance of the bonds. A public hearing will be held on Tuesday at 9am at the County Building in Castle Dale. The public is invited to attend and offer comment.

(SEVIER) – A resident in Sevier foiled a burglary attempt in progress over the weekend. The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office said the complaintant scared away two subjects dressed in hoodies, as they tried to break into his vehicle. A sheriff’s report said nothing was taken from the vehicle but it appeared the suspects may have gone through a wallet that had been left in the vehicle. The sheriff’s office is following up on several leads and have interviewed two juveniles who match the clothing description. Deputies warn residents to be careful of suspicious activity in their neighborhoods, especially this time of year, when gift items are left in vehicles.

EPHRAIM, Utah (AP)-Travis Wilkins made 6 of 7 shots and posted 20 points as the Snow Badgers pummeled the Casper (Wyo.) Thunderbirds, 91-64 Saturday at the Snow College Activity Center in mens’ college basketball action.

Teancum Stafford was also proficient, nailing 8 of 10 field goal attempts for the Badgers and finished with 19 points in the rout.

Additionally, the Badgers enjoyed a proficient performance on the foul line as they made 24 of 29 shots (nearly 83 percent) at the stripe.

Snow improved to 6-1 with the win, while they are next in action Friday at the Salt Lake Community College Thanksgiving Classic and will square off against La Jolla (Calif.) Prep.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)-Brian Scott amassed a hat trick, with three rushing scores and Ethan Stratton nailed a 45-yard field goal as the Hurricane Tigers blanked the Desert Hills Thunder to earn the 3A state football title Friday at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Jamie Johnson posted 15 points and the Green River Lady Pirates bested the Panguitch Lady Bobcats, 36-26 Friday at the 1A Girls preview at the Sevier Valley Center. Natashia Barney had five points in defeat for Panguitch.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Brittney Frost amassed 15 points and the Valley Lady Buffaloes stormed past the Tabiona Lady Tigers, 40-24 at the 1A Girls preview at the Sevier Valley Center Friday.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Whitni Syrett had 21 points and Sydney Cornforth stepped up with 18 more as the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs pounded the Duchesne Lady Eagles, 56-35 Friday at the 1A Girls preview at the Sevier Valley Center.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Kierra Gleave had 13 points and the Piute Lady Thunderbirds gashed the Wendover Lady Wildcats, 45-15 at the 1A Girls preview at the Sevier Valley Center Friday.

ESCALANTE, Utah (AP)-Lindsey Phillips and Tori Lindsay combined for 25 points and the Escalante Lady Moquis bested the Liahona Lady Warriors, 33-21 Friday at the J.T. Steel Escalante Tournament.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The U.S. House of Representatives voted on a Balanced Budget Amendment today but the measure stalled during debate. Rep. Jason Chaffetz said House Joint Resolution 2 would require Congress to not spend more than it receives in revenues, unless a supermajority of 3/5 of both chambers vote to provide otherwise; it requires a corresponding 3/5 vote to raise the debt ceiling and requires the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress. It also provides limited exceptions in times of war and serious military conflict. Chaffetz said the spending path the country is on is unsustainable and America needs to rein in its spending and live within our means. He commented that he was disappointed with the measure’s stall in the House.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield Fire Department crews rushed to a grass fire in the northeast area of the city Thursday afternoon. A Sevier County Sheriff’s report said they responded to call at about noon of a grass fire at 1930 North 2560 East in Richfield. The caller said the homeowner was burning grass at the location and it got out of control. Deputies said the homeowner thawed out a garden hose and put the fire out before crews arrived. No one was injured in the fire and no structures were threatened.

(Ephraim) The Ephraim City Council races have been officially decided after the canvass of votes at the city council meeting Wednesday night. Following election day, John Scott, Terry Lund, and Tyler Alder were the preliminary winners, but there were only four votes separating Tyler Alder and Beverly Thomas with a number of provisional and absentee ballots outstanding. Following the canvass, the outcome remains the same with Scott, Lund, and Alder winning the available seats.

Election results also remained unchanged following the canvass of votes in Spring City despite a margin of only three votes between Boyd Mickel and Pamela Anderson following election night. Neil Sorenson, Scott Allred, and Boyd Mickel will begin their terms on January 2nd.

(EPHRAIM, UTAH) SNOW COLLEGE HAS ANNOUNCED THAT EASTERN ARIZONA COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAS ACCEPTED A BID TO PLAY IN THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS BOWL ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3RD. THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME THIS MORNING FROM BADGER HEAD COACH TYLER HUGHES.

THE EASTERN ARIZONA GILAMONSTERS FINISHED 8-3 THIS SEASON AND TIED FOR 3RD WITH SNOW COLLEGE IN THE WESTERN STATES FOOTBALL LEAGUE. THE 17TH RANKED GILAMONSTERS ARE LED OFFENSIVELY BY SOPHOMORE  RUNNING BACK RASHON EVANS WHO HAS RUSHED FOR NEARLY 700 YARDS THIS SEASON AND 9 TOUCHDOWNS.  DEFENSIVELY, EASTERN ARIZONA IS LED BY FRESHMAN DEFENSIVE BACK MOHAMMAD SEISAY (SEE'-SAY) WHO HAS 6 INTERCEPTIONS WITH 2 RETURNED FOR TOUCHDOWNS.

THE SNOW BADGERS ARE ALSO 8-3 ON THE SEASON, FINISHING IN A 3RD PLACE TIE IN THE W.S.F.L. AND RANKED 16TH IN THE NATION.  FRESHMAN LINEBACKER MATT TANUVASA (TAH'-NOO-VAH'-SUH) LEADS SNOW WITH 56 TACKLES, WHILE SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER RONREI (RON'-RAY) LLOYD ANCHORS THE BADGER OFFENSE WITH 640 YARDS RECEIVING AND 6 TOUCHDOWNS.

THIS WILL BE THE 35TH MEETING IN HISTORY BETWEEN THESE TWO SCHOOLS WITH SNOW LEADING THE LIFETIME SERIES WITH 27 WINS AND 7 LOSSES.  THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME THE TWO TEAMS HAVE MET IN A BOWL GAME.

THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS BOWL WILL BE HELD AT NOON ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3RD, AT RIO TINTO STADIUM IN SANDY UTAH.  KMIT AM 650 & 95.1 FM WILL BROADCAST THE GAME BEGINNING AT 11:30AM.   TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT RIOTINTOSTADIUM.COM.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – A state representative from Nephi is getting mixed reviews from his colleagues over sales taxes to finance a pipeline project at Lake Powell. Rep. Patrick Painter has pitched a plan for a 15% tax on future sales tax growth to go into a loan fund from which water districts could borrow. Most of the money would be used to construct a pipeline to bring Lake Powell water to increased growth in the St. George area. Painter said population numbers in parts of Utah could double in the next half-century and the state will need to invest $6 billion or more into those areas. Some lawmakers question Painter’s plan, saying conservation measures could reduce the need for investing huge sums of money into future growth.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office is warning consumers of groups of people selling unused asphalt. Sheriff Nate Curtis said reports of unscrupulous practices of the groups have been coming from the St. George area and the group may be coming to Sevier County. Curtis said the group was in the county two years ago. He said the methodology is the same where a person contacts a homeowner, saying he just finished an asphalt job and has some left over and is willing to sell it for far less than the original price. Sheriff Curtis said the person tells the homeowner he’ll do the job for “four-fifty” but the signed agreement usually turns out to be $4.50 per square foot. He said most residents pay thousands of dollars more than what they thought, after being bullied into paying the higher amount. Curtis recommended that if you’re contacted by such groups, call a reputable local company and get an actual price of asphalt.

(MONROE) – Forest officials are planning to burn slash piles on the Richfield Ranger District about nine miles east of Monroe. The White Pine Ridge Timber Piles Burn Plan covers the piles of machine and hand-piled slash that has resulted from the Annabella, Clover, White Pine, Mile Creek and other small timber sales. Forest officials say the burn covers about 45 acres of timber harvest areas on National Forest System lands.

(GUNNISON) – Gunnison Valley Hospital officials will hold an open house Thursday evening for a doctor who is retiring after 33 years of service. GVH Administrator Mark Dalley said Dr. Jan Christensen will be honored at an open house at the Gunnison Valley Medicine Clinic from 5-6:30pm Thursday at 65 East 100 North in Gunnison. Dalley said Christensen has been a dedicated servant for his patients in Central Utah for many decades. After graduating from Loma Linda University of Medicine and completing his internship at Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Christensen began his family practice at the Gunnison hospital in 1978. His past positions include serving as Medical Staff Chairman and Chairman of the Credentialing Committee. The community is invited to attend Christensen’s retirement open house.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The House of Representatives may vote this week on a Budget Balanced Amendment. In a radio teleconference, Sen. Mike Lee said he fears language in the BBA may allow Congress to circumvent its way out of the legislation, if it’s passed. Lee said the Senate Super Committee is about a week away from coming up with ideas as to the construction of the BBA. He also said he was pleased with the United States Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments over Pres. Obama’s health care reform plan. Lee commented that normally, the High Court will only hear about 100 cases each year, while appellate courts hear 10,000 cases each year. He said he was happy the Supreme Court will go through a full review of Obama’s health care legislation.

(GUNNISON) – A wild horse advocacy group is accusing the Bureau of Land Management for not properly caring for captured wild horses. Wild Horse advocate, Lisa Friday from the Cloud Foundation, released a video showing wild mustangs with untrimmed, long and curling hooves at the BLM corral in Delta. The BLM is holding tens of thousands of wild horses in more than 1700 corrals in Utah that were captured on public lands. Officials say they are aware of neglect among some of the horses but are moving forward to correct the problems. BLM says spending cuts and reduced employee numbers have contributed to the extra manpower needed to take care of some problems. BLM officials closed down its Butterfield Canyon corrals in Salt Lake County.

(ELSINORE) – The Elsinore Town Planning Commission has planned a public hearing concerning the adoption of a revised Elsinore Annexation Policy Plan. The hearing will be held at 7pm on Thursday at the town hall. The public is invited to attend and offer comment.

(PRICE) – An oil and gas development company has set aside $500,000 to foster research and preservation of archaeological and historic resources in Nine Mile Canyon and the West Tavaputs Plateau. The Bill Barrett Corporation has planned a pair of meetings to discuss their spending priorities on the research and questionnaires will be distributed to the general public for comment. In January 2010, the company signed an agreement with the BLM to reduce the impact of its extraction operation by more than half. The company also reduced the number of its well pads, agreed to additional environmental protections, including dust mitigation and is paying for interpretive signage at specific cultural sites.

(DUTCH JOHN)-As of January 2013, the federal government will make its final stipend payment to Daggett County for the upkeep of Dutch John, according to a report in the Deseret News.

The stipend commenced in 1998 when the town near Flaming Gorge, which dates back to the 1950s to give dam workers at the reservoir a place to live, was privatized.

Daggett County economic development director Brian Raymond said 90 percent of land in the small county is public while much of the remaining 10 percent is in Greenbelt, which further reduces the property tax revenues the county could raise, Raymond said.

The anticipated economic boom that was expected to materialize following the privatization of Dutch John never occurred, Raymond stated, while the money Daggett County paid to the federal government was initially placed in a fund to assist in the payment of maintenance and repair of the community’s infrastructure.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-ABC4 in Salt Lake City reports the daughter of a polygamous sect leader involved in the 1988 murders of four people in Texas has pleaded guilty in federal court in Salt Lake City to a misdemeanor contempt charge.

Records show 46-year-old Jacqueline LeBaron entered into the plea Thursday in U.S. District Court, closing a 19-year-old Utah case.

LeBaron fled a Salt Lake City treatment center in 1991 while being held as a witness amid a grand jury investigation.

Last year, authorities located her in Honduras.

LeBaron was among six people charged after authorities say they followed instructions to kill defectors from the sect.

Prosecutors stated LeBaron assisted her siblings in the plot by giving them travel money.

LeBaron pleaded guilty in the conspiracy to obstruct religious beliefs while a Texas judge ordered her to three years in prison in September.

(PROVO)-A bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is facing charges for not reporting a possible case of sexual abuse, even after charges against the purported abuser have been dropped.

Several months ago, a 13-year-old girl told bishop Amando Rojas she was abused at a ward function and by law, Rojas was required to notify authorities.

Prosecutors believe the girl who reported it later dropped the charges after witnesses notified police the encounter was an accident.

Provo Police Sergeant Matthew Siufanua stated it is the job of investigators and prosecutors to decide if the claims are valid and that someone can go to jail for not reporting it even if the abuse claims prove to be false.

Church spokesman Scott Trotter released a statement, saying the Church has zero tolerance for abuse of any kind and is proactive in all efforts to eradicate abuse and help victims in the event it does occur.

Trotter further stated congregational leaders are instructed to obey the law and have access to a 24-hour helpline to assist them, while the Church notified local authorities of the incident as soon as they knew what had happened.

If Rojas is found guilty, he may serve up to a year in jail.

(VERNAL)-Tuesday, the man who committed Utah’s first homicide of 2011 will spend at least 15 years in prison.

The 61-year-old William Robert Feidmiller appeared in 8th District Court and was ordered to serve a 15 years to life term for killing his roommate, 46-year-old Mark “Joe” Bedwell.

Bedwell’s sister, Kelly Arias, addressed the court, describing Feidmiller as a “cowardly monster.”

Bedwell had allowed Feidmiller to stay in his trailer home for five years before a drunken argument erupted last January 20.

Bedwell ordered Feidmiller to get out of the home while he responded by drawing a knife from a sheath on his belt, stabbing Bedwell three times.

Feidmiller then made a call to 911, reporting he had an “altercation” with his roommate.

Police arrived at the home and detained Feidmiller while Bedwell was transported to Ashley Regional Medical Center of Vernal, where he died a short time later.

Bedwell’s family has described their brother as a gregarious individual who even pawned off one of his guns on the day of his murder so Feidmiller could have sufficient gas money.

Arias has suggested that death by lethal injection would be an apt punishment for Feidmiller.

(GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.)-The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports a man was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following a helicopter crash south of Grand Canyon National Park Tuesday.

The crash occurred roughly three miles west of the Valle, Ariz. Airport, according to information from the Coconino County (Ariz.) Sheriff’s Office.

Dispatchers received an emergency call from a man who said he was pinned in the wreckage of his helicopter which crashed around 8:30 a.m. MST Tuesday.

The man stated his aircraft had incurred a mechanical failure and was attempting to land when the crash occurred.

Valle is about 30 miles south of the south entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park in between Williams, Ariz. and Tusayan, Ariz. on Arizona S.R. 64.

(PUYALLUP, WA.) – A Washington state custody hearing for the children of missing West Valley City mother Susan Powell has been postponed until January. A Pierce County Superior Court judge in Puyallup, WA. was supposed to hear an update today in the custody case involving the children, ages six and four but cancelled due to a legal agreement. Susan Powell’s parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, were granted temporary custody after the boys were removed from the home of Josh Powell’s father, Steven Powell. The Coxes have asked the court to appoint a guardian ad litem because the boys were having some difficulty with the custody situation. The boys were living with their father in Steven’s home but were taken away after Steven was arrested on charges of voyeurism and child pornography. Susan Powell has been missing since Dec. 7, 2009, when Josh returned to their West Valley home to find her gone. He is listed as a person-of-interest in the case.

(PANGUITCH) – An elderly Panguitch man was taken to the hospital after crashing into a semi on Center Street in Panguitch Monday afternoon. According to a UHP report, 60-year old Rodney Adams of Whitehorse, Canada was traveling eastbound in a 1992 Kenworth semi, when he was hit by 74-year old Blevins Steinunn of Panguitch, who was crossing Center Street at 400 East in a 2002 Chevy Malibu at about 3:40pm. UHP said Steinunn was wearing his seatbelt and was transported to the Garfield Memorial Hospital in Panguitch with injuries. Adams was also wearing his seatbelt and was not injured in the accident. Steinunn was cited for failure to yield.

(CEDAR CITY) – A Cedar City man has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for the 2009 death of his infant son. 5th District Court Judge Michael Westfall pronounced the sentence on 27-year old Andy Gorecki on Tuesday. Court documents state that Gorecki was arrested in December 2009, when his three-month old son, Tyshaun, was discovered not breathing in his crib. The baby was flown to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, where he died nine months later when he was taken off life support. Gorecki was charged with aggravated assault in a case of first-degree felony child abuse homicide. He eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree felony child abuse.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – A legislative task force has given preliminary approval to fund the Lake Powell pipeline. On Monday, the Water Issues Task Force asked the entire Utah Legislature to fund a sales tax allocation that would pay for new infrastructure in the state. The group says if the legislature allocates 15% of the growth in future sales tax revenue, the dedication of the tax money would generate $60 million in the first year and as much as $90 million by 2022. The money would be used to pay back bonds issued by the state or state-created water districts to fund the Lake Powell Pipeline, estimated to cost about $1.1 billion.

(CHESTER) – A Cedar City woman was taken to the hospital Monday night after rolling her vehicle on SR-132 south of Chester. According to a UHP report, 21-year old Stephanie Irons was traveling southbound in a 2004 Hyundai Tiburon, when she was distracted by a cell phone and drove off the right shoulder of the highway at about 8:30pm. UHP said Irons overcorrected to the left and rolled her vehicle twice. She was wearing her seatbelt and was transported to the Sanpete Valley Hospital in Mt. Pleasant with unknown injuries. UHP said that Irons was cited for careless driving.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Mike Lee continues to push congressional leaders on passage of his Balanced Budget Amendment. In a radio teleconference last week, Lee said although his proposal doesn’t contain specific budget cuts, it does require the federal government to balance its budget. Lee said he still wants to see entitlement programs eliminated, an overhaul of Medicare spending and block grants, plus other items. He said the government spends about $200 billion a year just to pay interest on a $14 trillion debt and if the payment rises to $1 trillion, then the government would not be able to meet the payment.

(BRYCE CITY) – National Park Service officials are inviting the public to an open house Tuesday to discuss a study on a multimodal transportation plan within Bryce Canyon National Park. NPS officials want the public to understand existing problems with the transportation system in the Park and plan to hold a public open house at Ruby’s Inn in Bryce Canyon City on Tuesday from 4-7pm. Some of the solutions to problems that exist include reducing traffic congestion and parking shortages, increasing safety, eliminating or minimizing resource conflicts, improving connectivity for all modes of transportation and operational efficiency and improving the overall experience for visitors. NPS will also accept verbal and written comments in a public comment period from Nov. 15 through Dec. 15, 2011.

(FILLMORE) – Millard County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Tuesday concerning a Conditional Use Permit for Phase III of the Milford Wind Corridor Project. The CUP application is for property located about 12 miles north of Milford on the west side of SR-257. A copy of the CUP is available for review at the Millard County Offices in Delta. The hearing will be held Tuesday at 11am at the Millard County Commission Chambers and the public is invited to attend.

(RICHFIELD) – Several dozen soldiers of the Utah National Guard’s 222nd Field Artillery Unit returned home over the weekend. Guard officials said that 33 members came home, including several from Richfield, Salina, Monroe and Aurora. Others from between Cedar City and Salt Lake City also returned home after their tours of duty in the Middle East. A fundraiser in support of the troops was held at the Richfield Armory Friday with a monetary gain of about $300 after expenses.

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah (AP)-Brady Aste ran for a pair of scores while Zane Stevens, Kenneth Peterson and Christian Boorman also ran for touchdowns as the Manti Templars earned the 2A state football championship with a 37-9 rout of the Millard Eagles Saturday at Pleasant Grove High School. Carlo Garcia added a 35-yard field goal for the Templars, while Pancho Alcala nailed a 44-yard field goal for Millard and Jesse Rhodes had a 48-yard scoring run for the Eagles.

HEBER CITY, Utah (AP)-Macoy Young and Branden Despain each had two touchdown runs and Shiaba Allen added a 29-yard scoring run as the Duchesne Eagles smacked Layton Christian, 35-9 in the 1A state football championship game at Wasatch High School. Eliyah Mayberry had a 2-yard touchdown run for the Layton Christian Eagles while Kyle Yockey nailed a 41-yard field goal for Layton Christian.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Salt Lake City police have asked members of Occupy SLC to leave Pioneer Park after a man was found dead inside a tent today. Investigators said the man may have died from a combination of carbon monoxide and a drug overdose. Police Chief Chris Burbank said the city can’t tolerate individuals camping on streets or anywhere else in the city when the public’s safety is at risk. Bike patrols have made 91 arrests at Pioneer Park since the Occupy SLC movement began on Oct. 6. Four people were arrested in the early morning hours Thursday due to a fight involving about 30 people. Burbank said the Occupiers have until Saturday at sundown to leave the park and if they choose to stay, they’ll be arrested.

(EUREKA) – Officials at the Little Sahara Recreation Area have announced the 2012 Recreation Passes will be available beginning Nov. 21. The BLM Fillmore Field Office has also announced that starting January, passes will be valid for one full year from the month of purchase. Purchases prices are $120 for the first vehicle and $65 for the second.

(RICHFIELD) – Utah National Guard officials are reporting that dozens of soldiers of the 222nd Field Artillery Unit will be returning home from active duty in the Middle East. Officials said that 33 members of the Guard will come home this weekend, including service members from Richfield, Salina, Monroe and Aurora. A fundraiser in support of the troops will be held tonight at the Richfield Armory between 8 and 10pm. Officials say donations to the fundraiser are voluntary but would appreciate at least a $10.00 contribution. The public is invited to attend. Guard officials are also asking residents to keep flags flying throughout the weekend as service members come home from their tours of duty.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Questar Gas customers pay the lowest rates in the “lower 48” at $8.98 per thousand cubit feet, saving Utahns money as another winter season gets underway.

Colorado and Minnesota, other states who have traditionally frigid winters, had slightly lower rates at just over $9 per thousand cubic feet, while Georgia and Florida, which traditionally have mild winters, had the highest rates at around $20 per thousand cubic feet.

Questar Gas Senior Vice President Craig Wagstaff said Utahns will pay roughly the same cost this year as they did last year for heating needs.

Questar Gas serves roughly 915,000 customers in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming.

(HELENA, Mont.)-The Associated Press reports the Obama administration is calling for 18 new wilderness and conservation area declarations in nine Western states according to a report released Thursday by the Secretary of the Interior in hopes this will result in new legislation from Congress establishing the land protections.

Most of the areas under new protections are in the West, where the administration previously came under fire for a scuffled proposal to name new land protections as part of a presidential declaration.

The administration says the new proposals have “significant, local support.”

Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey said there is room for more wilderness, even as the BLM pushes for more oil, gas and other energy development on its land while the agency pointed out that since 1964, only about 3.5 percent of the land it manages has presently been declared wilderness.

Representatives from all 50 states were asked to identify specific projects in which the federal government could form partnerships as part of the America’s Great Outdoors initiative.

Conservation plans are meant to protect public lands, exhort people to enjoy the outdoors and bolster employment in both tourism and recreation.

The agency said it was unable to find consensus in several Western states for new land protections, including Alaska, Arizona and Wyoming.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Thursday, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development announced two company expansions which are expected to create 155 new jobs statewide.

Pepperidge Farm, a part of the Camden, N.J.-based Campbell Soup Company, plans to expand its Utah operations by creating 54 new jobs at its existing facility in Richmond, near Logan.

Meanwhile, InComm Corp. of Atlanta, a marketer and distributor of stored-value gift cards and prepaid products, will add 101 new jobs at its existing Salt Lake County operation throughout the next five years.

The new positions at Pepperidge Farm will pay at least 100 percent of the county average wage and will pay new state wages in excess of $18.9 million.

The expansion is due to increasing demand for their Goldfish crackers product line, according to a company statement.

Expansion of the existing facility at Richmond, which has been in operation since 1974, will commence in 2012, with production slated to begin in 2014.

The company expects to invest up to $45 million in capital improvements over the course of the project.

The GOED’s Board of Directors authorized a 10-year post-performance, single-payer refundable tax credit of $475,032 over the life of the project.

GOED also announced the expansion of InComm in Utah, stating the company will add 101 new jobs at its existing in-state operation throughout the next five years at a wage that exceeds the Salt Lake County average by 125 percent.

(EL PASO, Texas)-Federal officials stationed in West Texas are demonstrating a pilot program that aims to shorten the time it takes to cross into the U.S. from Mexico.

This new program enables U.S. citizens and frequent border crossers to apply for a radio frequency card which allows them to pass through security more swiftly.

During waiting time, an inspector can instantly retriever a traveler’s personal information on a computer screen which enables faster decisions to occur concerning whether a person should be admitted into either country.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar has said if early results of the program, which is being tested in El Paso, prove successful, it could be expanded to other border cities, such as Nogales, Ariz. and McAllen, Texas.

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports fire crews are planning prescribed fires on the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests of northern Arizona Friday.

Information from the U.S. Forest Service states on the Coconino forest, crews are planning to burn 30 acres of slash piles on the Eastside project while the site is north of Flagstaff on Eden Lookout Road and smoke is expected to disperse toward Fort Valley.

On the Kaibab, the blaze is expected to occur at the Williams Ranger District while crews will burn 60 acres of piles three miles west of Williams, Ariz. on the City Signal Hill project and smoke is expected to drift toward the west.

The pile burns are being conducted to assist in the restoration of forest health while reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire.

(DAMMERON VALLEY)-The Utah Highway Patrol announced 43-year-old Dennis Brown of Veyo died from injuries suffered in a one-car accident around 7:00 p.m. Wednesday on S.R. 18 near the Dammeron Valley drive interchange in rural Washington County.

Brown was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was ejected through the sunroof of his 2001 Oldsmobile Alero after it had swerved off the road and flipped upside down.

UHP Sergeant Dan Ferguson said that if Brown had been wearing a seat belt, he likely would have survived the accident.

However, his failure to do so caused him to be transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George while he was subsequently life flighted to the University Medical Center of Las Vegas where he died.

An investigation by the UHP continues into the cause of the accident which does not appear to be alcohol or drug-related.

(MOAB)-In a Thursday teleconference, Ken Salazar of the U.S. Department of the Interior said Desolation, Westwater and Mill Creek canyons of Utah’s Grand County are among 18 backcountry areas he says merit wilderness protections from Congress.

Salazar said the list of canyons he gave is by no means inclusive, but represents a starting point for the country to advance forward in the conservation of American landscapes.

The areas were culled from a host of recommendations and final selections were based on geographic areas wherein wilderness protections enjoy the greatest possible local support.

Salazar explained that in Utah’s selection process, the Grand County Council is in favor of the recommendations and has since forwarded a “serious proposal” for the designation of 11 wilderness areas.

Salazar’s “list” has already met opposition from Utah’s congressional delegation while Utah Democratic Representative Jim Matheson denounced his report.

In hopes of galvanizing Utahns, Salazar cited the Washington County lands bill as an example of how locally-driven efforts can achieve wilderness protection.

In September, all five members of Utah’s congressional delegation penned a letter to Salazar asking for the Beehive State to be exclude from any recommendations he might make.

In the letter, they stated 22 of the state’s 29 counties expressed similar sentiments, fearing that any top-directive would undermine any progress presently made on land bills.

(MURRAY) – Murray police have recovered the stolen bicycle of former NBA basketball player Shawn Bradley. The custom-built, 80-centimeter bike was taken the morning of Nov. 4 from Bradley’s barn at 600 East and 5800 South in Murray. An officer with Adult Probation and Parole found the bike Thursday while inspecting a former convict’s home but didn’t know why the suspect took the bicycle. The bike was located just inside the suspect’s residence and was in good condition. The unique bike was constructed specifically for Bradley by Trek, a company that builds custom-made equipment for those who need them. Bradley is seven-foot, six-inches and his bicycle is worth nearly $10,000.

(ESCALANTE) – Environmental activists pushing for government officials to practice better conservation methods along Escalante River’s watershed, have caused the slow decline of a pristine desert river. During the past century, Russian olive trees were planted to prevent soil erosion along the watershed in southern Utah’s Boulder Mountain but now have crowded out the native willows and cottonwoods on the banks of the river. The effort has confined the streams and erased the natural habitat for wildlife and cattle, in addition to the eradication of beavers, originally meant to send more water to downstream ranchers. Officials say the environmental measures have backfired, drying out the mountain’s spongy storage capacity. Central Canyonlands program manager, Linda Whitham, says the Escalante River Watershed Partnership, has secured a $600,000 private grant to fund the restoration of the watershed to its original beauty.

(KANAB) – A taxpayer’s group is suffering a setback in their quest to stop the construction of a hydro-gasification plant in Kanab. The Taxpayer’s Association of Kane County challenged the city in court, alleging officials did not post public notices describing the nature of the proposed plant sufficient enough to allow residents to comment. Sixth District Court Judge Wallace Lee threw out their lawsuit, saying Kanab City had met its legal duty by posting the time and location of the meeting at which the city approved its planning changes. He said residents had an obligation to learn more about the proposal before the meeting. The taxpayer’s group is not abandoning its efforts to stop the plant from being built. Kanab City Councilmembers upheld the Planning Commission’s approval of the project but a conditional use permit on the height of two smokestacks, is still pending. The proposed plant will experiment with a process for turning coal, bio fuels and other materials into methane gas that can be used to generate electricity when burned.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-ABC4 in Salt Lake City reports Utah is the most connected state in the country when it comes to broadband Internet access, according to a new study from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The study stated 80 percent of Utah’s 950,000 homes have a broadband Internet connection while the same report confirmed Mississippi has the lowest percentage of Internet connections, checking at 52 percent.

The national average is 68 percent, up from 64 percent in 2009.

These figures were collected from the 2010 U.S. Census.

(ATHENS, Greece)-The Associated Press reports senior banker Lucas Papademos has been officially named as the new Greek prime minister following four days of intense talks to form a coalition government in Athens.

The interim government is aiming to approve a new euro 130 billion ($177 billion) financial aid deal while cementing the debt-strapped nation’s position within the 17-nation eurozone.

The 64-year-old former vice president of the European Central Bank was named as the new prime minister Thursday and will head a coalition backed by the governing Socialists and the opposition conservatives that is expected to operate until early elections in February.

Papademos will replace the outgoing Prime Minister George Papandreou, midway through the Socialists’ four-year term.

(EDSON, Alberta)-Backers of technology springing from Utah believe they have found a key in making the environment cleaner and greener by decontaminating dirty water emanating from oil and gas wells.

Neil Richardson, the CEO of Purestream Technology of Salt Lake City, which is pioneering the project, said once the process is completed, the water is cleaner than what is originally found in the ground.

Should Purestream’s system succeed, it may instigate a financial boost to Utah State University, where the concept was born.

Through the years, engineers at USU’s Space Dynamics Laboratory developed techniques for managing heat and conserving energy, a crucial consideration for the space program.

The problem is a major economic factor at a huge complex of oil and gas wells in Edson, Alberta, located about 119 miles west of Edmonton, in the west-central portion of the province.

The water coming out of these wells is dirty while it is hauled away in large volumes to a central industrialized location wherein it is injected right back into the ground.

At many wells, there is also a significant backflow of frack water, a compilation of chemicals and water companies deliberately pump into the ground in hopes of boosting production by fracturing the rock, a process known as “fracking,” which is highly controversial as numerous environmentalists blame it for groundwater contamination.

Purestream is hoping to use its portable water treatment facility to separate toxic materials from the water while analysts say 90 percent of the water will become serviceable as drinking water so it can be reused or simply poured into the environment once again.

Besides using its resources in western Canada, the system has also been deployed at oil and gas fields in North Dakota and Texas recently while Purestream is also in negotiations with Kuwait Oil Company of Ahmadi, Kuwait to use the Utah technology to clean up more than 30 million gallons of water per day.

(STATE COLLEGE, Pa.)-After The Associated Press reported long-time Penn State University football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier were fired late Wednesday, police stated they are gathering information on any possible arrests of students who rioted in the aftermath.

Authorities in riot gear used pepper spray to break up the crowd which consisted of roughly 2,000 students who took to the streets of State College, Pa. Wednesday night.

The students flooded the downtown sector of the college town of 42,034 people as of the 2010 Census, after Paterno and Spanier’s firings concerning their failure to report the illicit rapes of young boys performed by one-time Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

Earlier Wednesday, Paterno had announced he planned to retire after the 2011 college football season and expressed remorse that he had not done more to stop Sandusky’s behavior.

(ORANGEVILLE) – Emery County residents were rattled by a 4.1-magnitude earthquake last night about six miles northwest of Orangeville. The University of Utah Seismograph Stations said the quake struck about 9:25pm. Emery County sheriff’s employees working in Castle Dale, about eight miles from the epicenter, said they felt the quake and had received calls from several residents. People reported feeling the quake as far away as Price, about 30 miles northeast of Orangeville. Officials said no damage had been reported.

(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.)-The Associated Press reported an Albuquerque, N.M.-based company has been awarded federal grants worth more than $2.8 million to assist in bringing electricity to Native American communities.

Sacred Power Corp. will use $2 million to provide renewable power for roughly 300 rural homes on the Navajo Nation in Arizona and Utah.

Next, the entity will use $500,000 to provide replacement batteries for solar photovoltaic hybrid wind turbines and propane generators on Navajo lands in New Mexico and Arizona.

From there, an additional $395,000 will go toward the installation of wind turbines on reservation lands in South Dakota while the grants are provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Sacred Power is owned and operated by Native Americans and specializes in the production and integration of renewable energy technologies.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The sexual misconduct allegations leveled against GOP Presidential candidate Herman Cain are being bandied about amongst congressional leaders. Sen. Mike Lee said the talk on Capitol Hill is that more allegations may be brought against Cain but Lee said he has no definitive evidence to make a judgement. Lee said that most congressional leaders willing to discuss the allegations are taking a “wait-and-see” approach before making any comment.

(LAS VEGAS)-The Salt Lake Tribune reports police stated a bust of a warehouse just off of the Las Vegas Strip turned up a sufficient amount of raw materials to make up to $30 million worth of synthetic drugs.

Las Vegas Police stated a SWAT team raided the drug lab on Highland Drive shortly after 4:30 p.m. PST Monday.

While there, authorities discovered hundreds of pounds of chemicals as well as a large amount of finished products, known as “spice,” a form of synthetic pot and “bath salts,” or synthetic cocaine.

The investigation commenced when Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff and Logan Police tipped off Nevada authorities concerning the shipment of drugs which originated in Las Vegas.

Monday, Utah authorities arrested two people in connection with the bust while Las Vegas authorities said they are seeking a third person for questioning.

The synthetic narcotics were banned in both Utah and Nevada this year.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Tuesday, the University of Utah unveiled its new “flagship education” facility with the completion of the $72 million Spencer F. Eccles Business building.

U. business school dean Taylor Randall said the building will provide a cutting edge learning atmosphere for students for years to come.

Upon its entire completion, the project will total more than 188,000 square feet on nine levels, while it will be built in two phases.

The first phase will open next January while phase two is slated for completion as of May 2013.

The facility will consist of 16 classrooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology, podcasting and video conferencing capacities as well as the latest in wireless technologies.

There will also be more than two dozen spaces located through the building consisting of collaborative learning and teamwork.

The building is named in the honor of Spencer Fox “Spence” Eccles, the chairman emeritus of the Intermountain Region of Wells Fargo and Co., and a former chairman and chief executive officer of First Security Corporation of Salt Lake City.

The building is presently open for faculty, but will not become open to students until January, although, in the interim, they are impressed at what they have seen of the building.

(OGDEN)-Weber State University football coach Ron McBride has announced he will retire at the end of the 2011 season, following seven years as head coach at Weber and nearly 50 years of coaching at the Division I level.

McBride, who turned 72 last month, is currently the sixth-oldest active head coach in Division I college football, trailing only Penn State coach Joe Paterno, Albany head coach Bob Ford, Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore, Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder and Florida Atlantic head coach Howard Schnellenberger.

McBride will finish out the string this season, while his final home game at Stewart Stadium will be this Saturday, November 12, against Northern Arizona while the Wildcats’ season ends at Portland State November 19.

McBride has an overall record of 41-38 at Weber State, including a 32-21 mark in Big Sky Conference games.

McBride, who is best known for his 13 years at the helm of the University of Utah’s football program, has an all-time record of 129-101.

McBride began coaching at the Division I level in 1965 when he was a co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at San Jose State, his alma mater.

McBride’s career at Weber State included two berths in the I-AA college football playoffs and brought the Wildcats their first Big Sky title in 40 years during his tenure.

McBride has coached several NFL stars in his career, such as Carolina Panthers wideout Steve Smith, Atlanta Falcons tailback Jamal Anderson, Denver Broncos/Baltimore Ravens tailback Mike Anderson, the 2000 NFL offensive rookie of the year, and Detroit Lions/Denver Broncos defensive tackle Luther Elliss.

McBride and his wife, Vicky, have been married for 51 years and they have four children, while his son-in-law, John Baxter, is the assistant head coach to Pat Hill for Fresno State’s football program.

(SEVIER) – A California man and his passenger were arrested for drugs on I-70 near Sevier last Friday after UHP troopers pulled them over for a traffic violation. According to a UHP report, 23-year old Geovany Gonzolas of Long Beach, CA. was stopped on the highway and the trooper discovered the man was driving on a suspended license at about 8:30am. During the stop, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity while talking to the driver and obtained permission to search the vehicle. The officer discovered 17 ounces of methamphetamine inside the vehicle. Both the driver and his passenger, 21-year old Alexis Medina of Sioux City, IA., were charged and booked into the Sevier County Jail.

(GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.)-KKCO-TV, Channel 11 in Grand Junction, Colo. reports an oil and natural gas proposal to develop more than 100 new wells in Mesa County (Colo.) drew both praise and criticism at a Bureau of Land Management open house last weekend at the Doubletree Hotel of Grand Junction.