(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The Bureau of Land Management has released a 15-year strategy to guide land management efforts around the country in the years to come. BLM officials say the National Landscape Conservation System, is part of the 245-million acres of public lands administered by the BLM. BLM Director Bob Abbey said the NLCS includes some of the most spectacular and special lands in America, with vital commodities and host remarkable landscapes, ecosystems and natural and cultural resources. Abbey said the NLCS supports the BLM’s mission of focusing on conservation, while at the same time, supports economic development on public lands.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The United States Department of Agriculture says Utah’s spring and winter wheat harvested for grain is up 10% from 2010 to this year. The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reports there were 144,000 acres of the spring wheat harvested in Utah and 124,000 of winter wheat harvested. NASS says that represents an increase of five percent over last year. NASS also reported that 22,000 acres of Utah barley harvested in 2011 is down 19% from last year and 4,000 acres of oats remained the same as last year.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Amanda Sheets had two goals and the Grand Lady Red Devils edged the Richfield Lady Wildcats, 4-3 Thursday in 2A East girls soccer action. Kalisha Bean had two goals in defeat for Richfield, while Breonna Ellingford also scored in the loss for the Lady Wildcats.

EPHRAIM, Utah (AP)-Ali Rosquist posted a hat trick and Christina Fullmer and Kelsie George had two goals apiece as the Manti Lady Templars routed the North Sevier Lady Wolves, 8-0 in 2A East girls soccer action Thursday. Maricella Reyes and Selicia Reyes also scored for Manti while Heidi Richardson earned the shutout for the Lady Templars.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)-Rachel Roberts had a pair of goals while Baylie Pender, Bethany Woolsey and Keara Hofheins also scored as the Beaver Lady Beavers blanked the American Leadership Lady Eagles, 5-0 Thursday in 2A East girls soccer action. Whitnie Pender posted the shutout for Beaver in the win.

PRICE, Utah (AP)-Kennedy Springer and Jenna Bradford combined for 16 kills and the Delta Lady Rabbits blanked the Carbon Lady Dinos, 3-0 in Region 12 volleyball action Thursday.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Megan Dearden posted nine kills while Madi Oliver added eight kills and four blocks as the Millard Lady Eagles bested the Kanab Cowgirls, 3-1 Thursday in Region 13 volleyball action.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The 55-year-old Floyd Eugene Maestas, who was convicted to a life sentence in prison for stomping on an elderly woman until she died in 2004, will appeal his murder conviction to the Utah Supreme Court next week.

Tuesday, Maestas’ attorneys will contend his conviction should be overturned for several reasons, including the claim that Maestas is mentally retarded, thus exempting him from the death penalty.

Defense attorneys will also challenge DNA evidence linking Maestas to the crime while they will contend the death sentence was unreliable because trial judge Paul Maughan ordered Maestas’ defense team not to present evidence harmful to his family at the sentencing.

Meanwhile, the Utah Attorney General’s Office will ask the high court to uphold the sentence Maestas had received following his 2008 trial for the slaying of Donna Lou Bott.

On the evening of September 28, 2004, Maestas and two other men broke into the home of the 72-year-old woman with the intent of robbing her.

The co-defendants then testified at the trial that Maestas ran directly to the sleeping woman’s bedroom where he proceeded to beat, stomp upon and strangle her until she died.

The robbers left with only a handful of change while Maestas was also convicted of breaking into the home of an 87-year-old Virginia Chamberlain of Salt Lake City.

In this instance, Maestas pulled the victim’s T-shirt over her head and stole her purse on the same night Bott was killed.

Assistant Attorney General Karen Klucznik will ask the Supreme Court to uphold the trial judge’s ruling that Maestas is not mentally retarded.

The Tuesday case before the high court will be the first time the state’s mental retardation exemption statute, passed into law in 2003, will be addressed.

Maestas attacked his victims in 2004 shortly after his prison release for attacking a different elderly woman in the 1980s while the attack of that victim came after a prison release for assaulting another woman in the 1970s.

Maestas’ attorneys filed a motion for a new motion in 2008, where they argued the client received an unfair trial because of juror misconduct.

The defense then pointed to improper discussions in the jury room because a female juror then insisted the option of “parole without life,” did not really suggest an inmate would never get out of prison.

The statement consisted of “extraneous information” that should not have been considered by jurors, the defense states.

Defense attorneys have also contended they may have bumped another juror from the panel she had divulged that her son had a lengthy record of juvenile court encounters while the defense argued that the juror’s alleged concealment prevented them from delving into any issues of bias.

Following Maughan’s decision, Maestas’ case then proceeded to a review by the Utah Supreme Court.

(OREM)-The Salt Lake Tribune reports Utah Valley University has finalized a deal to acquire 100 acres at the site of the former Geneva Steel mill, where it plans to build fields for intramural sports while accommodating the need to address future growth at the geographically-constrained Orem campus.

Anderson Geneva Development Inc. of Vineyard is reclaiming the 1,700-acre industrial site for a proposed residential and commercial development while the developer sees UVU as a “major anchor” in the project area and has since donated half of the $20 million he says the property is worth.

The university is paying $5 million while the balance is coming from redevelopment agency reimbursements.

In a press release, university president Matthew S. Holland said this acquisition gives UVU some much-needed mobility in the university’s continual mission of educating people and accommodating growth, which has occurred exponentially.

The UVU site is next to a planned Utah Transit Authority FrontRunner station and presently, the institution serves 32,000 students but has little space left for non-academic pursuits.

Officials envision this proposed site to be a place for student-life facilities and a 900-stall parking lot in the future.

(ST. GEORGE)-A St. George judge has issued an arrest warrant for a man who once worked as a bodyguard for polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs.

The St. George Spectrum reports that 42-year-old William R. Jessop is being sought for failing to appear Wednesday for hearings to schedule payments he owes to private investigator Samuel Brower.

Brower has been owed legal expenses after winning a claim that Jessop had subjected him to a frivolous court filing.

Meanwhile, Jessop’s attorney says his client is in Switzerland on business.

The court case between the men involves a restraining order Jessop sought, claiming Brower trespassed on Jessop’s property.

Judge G. Rand Beacham noted Jessop has missed two court appearances while he set another hearing for November 23.

Jeffs was then convicted and sentenced to life in prison on child sexual assault charges in Texas.

(WASHINGTON)-Wednesday, Utah Senate President Michael Waddoups of Taylorsville received the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s highest advocacy award for his leadership in the fight against cancer.

Chris Hansen, the president of the Washington-based Cancer Action Network said Waddoups has been instrumental in the organization’s efforts to end cancer in Utah.

The Cancer Action Network stated last year’s tobacco tax increase led 24,739 people to quit or cut back on tobacco use, including over 2,000 youth.

State revenue also increased by more than $67 million, while tobacco-related health care and Medicare costs decreased by $56 million.

The Cancer Action Network also reports Utah’s Tobacco Quit Line reported a 152 percent increase in calls since the legislation was implemented and businesses realized a $33 million savings in productivity costs.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Utah Department of Public Safety is featuring a new system which allows drivers to obtain their accident reports online.

Instead of having to go in person to the responding law enforcement office, Utahns can now log onto crashreport.utah.gov and request a copy of the report.

After the system verifies the victim’s personal identity, the report will be available for purchase and may be printed for a home computer.

Commissioner D. Lance Davenport of the Utah Department of Public Safety stated his office works diligently to offer services which prove both helpful and convenient.

According to the most recent data obtained from the Utah Highway Patrol, Utah law enforcement agencies process more than 56,000 traffic accidents annually.

(LAS VEGAS)-An evidence hearing has been postponed for a Florida high school football coach facing a murder charge in the one-punch death of a tourist from Utah in a Las Vegas Strip casino.

Wednesday, a prosecutor informed a Las Vegas judge that a police officer scheduled to testify in the preliminary hearing for the 38-year-old Benjamin Gerard Hawkins is hospitalized after emergency surgery.

Justice of the Peace William Jansen says he will wait to set another date when the officer can appear.

Police say the black Hawkins punched the 46-year-old white John Massie of Roy after Massie had made a racial comment when both men were in a restroom early on July 6 at O’Shea’s Las Vegas casino.

Massie never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead within 30 minutes.

(RICHFIELD) – The low bid for the granite expansion of the Sevier Valley Veteran’s Memorial in Richfield has been awarded to a local monument company. At Tuesday night’s city council meeting, councilmembers awarded the bid of about $141,000 to Rick’s Richfield Monuments. The money will be used to install four redesigned monoliths, two donor monoliths, cap material for the retaining wall and paving materials for the area around the monument and north and south areas around the monoliths. Etching of the initial 1200 names in the monoliths is also included in the bid. Also at the meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Paul Foster discussed a priority plan for a Pool Wall Climber at the swimming pool and a future splash pad. Foster also discussed new playground equipment at the Richfield City Park.

(NEW ORLEANS)-Former Archbishop Matthew Phillip Hannan, who gave the eulogy for President John F. Kennedy, the U.S.’ first Catholic president, and later served for more than three decades as head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of New Orleans died Thursday at the age of 98.

The archdiocese announced he died peacefully shortly after 3:00 a.m. CDT Thursday while he had suffered from declining health for years.

Hannan had been the 11th archbishiop in New Orleans history and among the most active, while New Orleans’ Catholic heritage dates back to 1682.

On his 75th birthday, May 20, 1988, he was forced to retire as archbishop, but he then became the president of WLAE-TV of New Orleans, the public television station he founded, which still remains a PBS affiliate today.

Hannan was reassigned to New Orleans from his native Washington in 1965 and where he had served as an auxiliary bishop since 1956.

Hannan soon became touched with the condition of the poor of New Orleans and began a summer program for black children which combined classroom work with recreation.

After Kennedy’s assassination, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis asked Hannan to deliver the eulogy because of his close, personal relationship with the president, while in 1968, Hannan returned to Washington to give the graveside eulogy of Kennedy’s younger brother, Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

When Onassis died from cancer in 1994, Hannan again returned to Washington to deliver the eulogy.

Highlights of his tenure as Archbishop in New Orleans included the 1987 visit of then-Pope John Paul II and his creation of what was at the time, the largest housing program for the elderly of any U.S. diocese, consisting of 2,780 units.

When Hannan stepped down from his position in New Orleans, the city’s archdiocese operated one of the biggest Catholic charities in the nation which consisted of a $20 million budget that helped more than 47,000 people annually.

Hannan was born May 20, 1913 in Washington and was the fourth of eight children born to an Irish immigrant and a fourth-generation Washingtonian in his own right.

He was ordained to his office in Rome in 1938 and after serving for two years at a church in Baltimore, he volunteered as a paratroopers chaplain in World War II, earning the nickname “The Jumping Padre.”

When U.S. troops seized control of the German city of Cologne, Hannan dodged through front lines to a cathedral in the city and posted Army guards at the site to prevent any further looting or damage than had already occurred.

In 1945, Hannan assisted in the liberation of a camp of starving war prisoners from the German war prisoner camp Wobblein and was discharged in 1946 with the rank of major.

(LOGAN) – Utah State University ecologists are studying the hunting patterns of wolves to help ranchers in efforts to protect their livestock. Dan MacNulty, assistant professor in USU’s Department of Wildland Resources, says, along with his colleagues, the hunting success in wolves increases up to four wolves and then levels off. He said that in groups of more than four wolves, hunting effort decreased. MacNulty said if livestockmen take into account the hunting behavior of wolves, risk to their animals is greatly reduced.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Displaced Utah workers may soon be getting assistance in receiving training to change careers in a languishing economy.

Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Martha Kanter, the undersecretary of education, announced nearly $500 million would be granted to community colleges throughout the nation in hopes of providing training and workforce employment opportunities.

This is also expected to be the first installment in a $2 billion four-year investment in increasing opportunities for unemployed workers.

Being among the aforementioned recipients, Utah will receive $2.7 million throughout the next three years, while the funds will be distributed among Snow College, Salt Lake Community College, Dixie State College, Utah Valley University, Weber State University and the Utah College of Applied Technology.

SLCC spokesman Joy Tlou says the community college has been selected as the organizer of the federal grant, while benefiting Utah institutions will have 60 days to provide a plan to the federal government on what programs will be funded.

Most of them will go toward the development of two-year work training programs designed to place workers into high-skill and high-wage jobs, Tlou said.

This initiative is a part of President Barack Obama’s broader goal for the U.S. to have the highest proportion of college graduates worldwide by 2020.

(DELTA)-Motorists traveling between Delta and eastern Millard County along U.S. Highway 50 will now be able to see a memorial honoring the memory of slain county sheriff’s deputy Josie Greathouse Fox.

A white cross memorial has been constructed on the site where Fox lost her life in January 2010 to ensure the sheriff’s deputy killed in the line of duty is never forgotten.

Millard County Sheriff Rod Dekker, who drives from his Delta home to his office at Fillmore daily, says the monument is perfect and is a symbol of what the community can be proud of.

Dekker also lionized Fox’s goodness, saying she was an advocate for those being bullied and was a good friend to those in need.

Dekker says when he sees the memorial in the western desert, he doesn’t think of her death, but rather the life of service and commitment she lived.

(LOGAN)-While extensive construction is underway on the Snow College Ephraim campus, similar changes are afoot at Utah State University in Logan, while a prominent landmark may be at risk.

A chapel on the USU campus, known as the “Golden Toaster,” may be demolished to make way for a new building.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which has owned the building for decades, verbally agreed to give the land to USU in exchange for land at a mostly vacant trailer park on the sprawling campus’ outskirts.

David Cowley, USU’s Vice President of business and finance, says the land the university has purchased is in “an excellent location,” as it looks out across the Cache Valley.

USU administrators said they would like to put some building there, but present plans give no indication that the iconic “Golden Toaster” will remain intact.

The chapel is a longtime local landmark, even if its fame comes from its ugly shape and local Church members have said they are sad to see it go potentially.

ESCALANTE, Utah (AP)-Tyce Barney homered and doubled while Josh Henrie tripled as the Panguitch Bobcats pummeled the Escalante Moquis, 22-3 Wednesday in Region 20 baseball action. Chance Campbell and Jory Owens added a pair of doubles apiece for the Bobcats who belted out 21 hits in the rout. Alex Christensen doubled in defeat for the Moquis.

JUNCTION, Utah (AP)-Brock Taylor posted two doubles while Austin Davis, Randy Ellett, Taylor Albrecht and Ty Rees also came up with key hits as the Wayne Badgers outgunned the Piute Thunderbirds, 12-9 in Region 20 baseball action Wednesday. Anthony Hardman homered in the loss for Piute.

SALINA, Utah (AP)-Allie Bruttig posted a hat trick while Olivia Collins added two more goals as the South Sevier Lady Rams gashed the North Sevier Lady Wolves, 6-1 Wednesday in 2A East girls soccer action. Ditte Sorenson also scored in the win for the Lady Rams while Miranda Wilcox had the sole goal for North Sevier.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The United States Department of Agriculture is seeing a slight drop in the number of turkeys raised in Utah this year. National Agricultural Statistics Service spokesman John Hilton said Utah has produced 4.3 million turkeys so far this year and show a slight decrease of 130,000, or three percent. Hilton said the reason for the decrease could be attributed to several factors, including market fluctuations, economic conditions, disease and other factors. Utah and South Dakota are ranked as the 11th and 12th turkey producing states in the country, producing the same amount of turkeys in 2011.

(MONROE) – The Monroe City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing tonight concerning amendments to the City Land Use and Subdivision Ordinance. Planners say that the amendments include changes to flag lot requirements, changes on conditional uses for home offices to include all zones, composition of the planning commission and disbanding the Board of Adjustments. The public is invited to attend the hearing, scheduled at 7:30pm at the Monroe City Hall.

(PHOENIX)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports an Indianapolis man has pleaded not guilty to charges that he forced his young grandsons on brutal hikes in triple-digit heat at Grand Canyon National Park.

Christopher Carlson entered pleas Wednesday in Phoenix on six counts of child abuse while each carries a maximum of life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors allege that the 45-year-old Carlson deprived his three grandsons of food and water during two separate August hikes.

The boys, aged 12, 9 and 8, told investigators they had been hit, pushed, choked, pinched and squeezed during the trips from the South Rim and were told to lie to park rangers.

Carlson told authorities he wanted to toughen up the boys while his attorney declined comment Wednesday.

His trial is slated to begin November 1.

(CEDAR CITY)-During the opening performance of The Winter’s Tale Tuesday, the Utah Shakespeare Festival announced it has received a generous endowment from the Southern Utah Foundation of Cedar City.

The foundation has agreed to match dollar-for-dollar, up to $80,000 to donate to the festival between now and the end of the calendar year.

Both the Utah Shakespeare Festival and the Southern Utah Foundation date back to 1961 and over the past 15 years, the festival has received generous gifts from the foundation, usually numbering between the $2,000-$5,000 range.

This year, however, the foundation is being dissolved, according to president Scott Truman, while he says the Shakespeare Festival can use the challenge gift as the impetus to gain momentum for future fundraising initiatives.

(VERNAL)-Firefighters worked through early Wednesday morning to douse a blaze at northeastern Utah’s remote American Gilsonite Co. plant near Vernal.

Uintah County Fire Information spokeswoman Lorraine Jennings stated the fire had been extinguished as of 10:45 a.m. MDT Wednesday while no injuries had been reported among either plant employees or firefighters.

The blaze had burned in one of a network of mines operated by the Bonanza, Utah-based company about 40 miles southeast of Vernal.

The fire, which was reported around 1:00 a.m., forced evacuation from the plant while the cause was under investigation.

Calls to company officials concerning the fire Wednesday were not immediately returned.

(PROVO)-A convicted sex offender who was controversially released from jail despite facing more than 20 new counts of child sex abuse has returned to Utah for another competency evaluation.

The 39-year-old Lonnie Johnson was charged in 4th District Court with 21 counts of rape of a child, sodomy of a child and aggravated sex abuse of a child, all of which are first-degree felonies.

A registered sex offender since he was convicted of child rape in Washington state, Johnson spent a year and a half at the Utah State Hospital in Provo before he was deemed incompetent to stand trial and he was considered unlikely to be restored to competency.

Later, Fourth District Judge James Brady determined Johnson was not considered a danger to himself and others and thus could not be civilly committed.

In April, Johnson was released while he moved to Oregon and his release angered Utah Governor Gary Herbert, who expressed hope legislators will address this problem of a system, enabling a suspected child predator to go free.

A week later, prosecutors filed a motion asking that a new competency hearing occur based on belief that Johnson had a realistic chance of regaining competence should he ensue in his treatment at the state hospital.

An affidavit was also filed from Peter Heinbecker, a forensic psychiatrist boasting more than 23 years of experience at the hospital, who believes Johnson is competent enough to proceed.

Fourth District Judge James Taylor has since ordered Johnson to return to Utah to undergo an evaluation by a pair of psychiatrists, stated prosecutor Craig Johnson, who is not related to the defendant.

The evaluations over the next few weeks will focus on Johnson’s current mental state, rather than his mental state at the time of the alleged crime.

Should the psychiatrists in question not be able to reach a consensus, a third doctor will also be hired to evaluate the man while a competency hearing is slated for November 17.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-According to a recently-completed survey, Utah, which presently ranks 35th in the nation for childhood immunizations, is in danger of exposing children to a litany of diseases.

Dr. Kathryn Gibson, a University of Utah family physician says she is shocked by how many Utah children are not being immunized and that this leaves the children in peril of incurring diseases they otherwise would not get.

Gibson and Rich Lake of the Utah Department of Health both say the choice parents make not to immunize children is setting up the community for possible ignominious outbreaks.

In order for maximum effectiveness to occur in vaccination, experts say children should be immunized by the age of 2 while statistics show parents wait until kindergarten when it becomes a requirement to enter schools.

For more information on vaccination, please visit www.immunize-utah.org.

(VERNAL)-As of 1:00 a.m. MDT Wednesday morning in Vernal, an industrial fire has raged at the American Gilsonite plant in the community.

Dispatchers have confirmed calls that the fire came in just after 1:00 a.m. and after fire crews responded, they have labored to douse the flames.

The plant was subsequently evacuated and no injuries had been reported through Wednesday morning.

(ST. LOUIS)-Wednesday, a Canadian boy whose family had significant struggles in keeping him alive despite astronomical odds, instigated an international end-of-life debate, died four months before his second birthday, according to a family spokesman.

Joseph Maraachli, who became widely known as Baby Joseph, died Tuesday afternoon, according to Brother Paul O’Donnell of St. Paul, Minn., the family’s spokesman and spiritual adviser, who was 20 months old.

Maraachli suffered from the progressive neurological disease Leigh Syndrome while O’Donnell said his father, Moe, told him the baby died at his home, surrounded by family.

Moe Marrachli said it was likely the child died from complications relating to the disease, but the cause of death has not yet been announced.

Earlier this year, doctors at the London, Ontario Health Sciences Centre refused to perform a tracheotomy to extend his life, saying it was futile because the disease was terminal.

An Ontario court then decided doctors could remove the child’s breathing tube.

His family then sought help from American hospitals, such as the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital of St. Louis, which agreed to treat him.

He was brought to the Gateway of the West last March and spent one month at Cardinal Glennon.

The Rev. Frank Pavone, the director of Staten Island, N.Y.-based Priests For Life, an anti-abortion and anti-euthanasia organization which flew Baby Joseph from his native London to St. Louis, said the child and his parents “fulfilled a special mission from God,” while messages with either of the hospitals Maraalchi was involved with did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The baby’s story drew international attention after Canadian doctors determined he was in a permanent vegetative state and his condition was deteriorating.

The Bethesda, Md.-based National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke said Leigh Syndrome, also known as Leigh’s Disease, is a rarely inherited neurometabolic disorder affecting the central nervous system while it typically begins before children reach the age of two years.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City is paying the bulk of relocation costs to a Richfield business owner due to the expansion of the city’s airport. At the city council meeting Tuesday night, councilmembers discussed the waiver of relocation requirements for A & D Jensen Construction. The Richfield Airport Expansion Project created the displacement of the business because it’s located along the new proposed runway at the airport. The owners told the council that relocation costs would wipe out the expansion of their business. The council agreed and waived several requirements, including street improvements, curb, gutter, sidewalks, paving, street lights and landscaping. City Manager Mike Langston said state and federal law allow a reestablishment of up to $50,000 with the FAA paying $10,000 of the cost and the city making up the other $40,000. The development of the new business site at 1500 South in Richfield would be paid for by the business owner.

(SIMI VALLEY, Calif.)-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has reiterated he is not running for the 2012 GOP presidential ticket to supporters, even as an address he delivered at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was likely to instigate fresh speculation concerning his White House ambitions.

Christie warned that the nation’s credibility abroad was being damaged by troubles at home while asserting that an indecisive White House has deepened the nation’s economic plan while accusing President Barack Obama of attempts to divide the country in hopes of winning the reelection next year.

In a subsequent question and answer session, Christie stated he was flattered by suggestions that he run in 2012 but added the reason has to reside within himself.

During his address, Christie, the first Republican to be elected as New Jersey Governor since 1997, contrasted Reagan’s conservative values with Washington’s present “dysfunction,” while lambasting Obama perpetually as he brought his remarks to a close.

After commencing the question and answer session, Christie was repeatedly asked if he plans to reconsider his decision not to enter the race but as he often had before, he said he has declined the option.

(WASHINGTON)-Earlier this week, President Barack Obama took the time to honor 94 early-career scientists and engineers for their promising research, including one University of Utah scientist who is presently discovering how certain cancers progress through generations of families.

Nicola J. Camp said she knew officials at the Bethesda, Md.-based National Cancer Institute had nominated her this past spring but was only informed last week that she was among the honored recipients which saw her contributions lionized by Obama in a statement released by the White House.

A professor in the Division of Genetic Epidemiology at the U.’s Department of Medicine, Camp stated Utah is an ideal for cancer research by virtue of the multigeneration families who comprise the state’s population and the Utah Population Database, one of the largest genetic databases in the world.

Camp’s research primarily focuses on chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeoloma, two forms of blood cancer, and breast cancer.

She said her work primarily attempts to trace genetic changes with generations of families leading to an increased risk of those types of cancer.

In October, Camp and other scientists will travel to Washington to accept their awards while possibly meeting the president.

The award will also come with additional research grant money while Camp said the exact amounts of the grant awards have not yet been released.

(LOS ANGELES)-Tuesday, jurors in the involuntary manslaughter case against the late Michael Jackson’s personal physician were presented with two portraits of the iconic star during the first day of testimony in the case concerning his death.

The panel which will ultimately determine Dr. Conrad Murray’s fate also got a sense of Jackson’s international stardom after one of the promoters testified that after the singer’s 50 comeback shows slated for London, demand still existed for 50 more.

Jackson’s persona was apparent throughout the Los Angeles courtroom where the case occurred, although prosecutors are now moving their case toward events leading to his death and their immediate aftermath.

Testimony was to continue Wednesday morning and will feature statements by executive Paul Gongaware as well as one of Jackson’s bodyguards and a personal assistant.

Prosecutors noted Jackson’s extensive drive for success, while on the other side of the case, Murray’s lead defense attorney, Ed Chernoff, noted this as well but stated the singer’s ambition ultimately led to him giving himself a fatal dose of medication.

Chernoff stated Murray had attempted to wean Jackson off of propofol, but the entertainer adamantly requested it on the day of his death to help him sleep.

Chernoff also informed jurors Jackson swallowed enough of the sedative, Iorazepam, to put six people to sleep before ingesting propofol.

This combination, which Chernoff called the “perfect storm” of medications, killed Jackson so swiftly, that he did not have time to close his eyes before he died.

Prosecutors have since rejected Chernoff’s rendition of events and told jurors the Houston-based Murray also had a tremendous stake in Jackson appearing in the concerts.

They testified Murray had initially asked to be paid $5 million annually for working with Jackson, but Gongaware said he immediately rejected this proposal.

Instead, Murray accepted an offer to become Jackson’s doctor for $150,000 monthly, an amount he was never paid as his contract had not been signed before the singer’s death.

The Associated Press reports Murray still has much to lose as if he should be convicted, he faces up to four years in prison and will be forced to relinquish his medical license.

(CEDAR CITY) – An Enoch woman who died instantly after being struck by a semi on I-15 near Cedar City early Tuesday morning, is believed to have committed suicide. Utah Highway Patrol Spokesperson Susan Thomas said the victim, identified as 43-year old Linda Imlay, was run over by a northbound semi at around 3:10am Tuesday. The truck driver told troopers that he spotted what appeared to be a blanket lying in the outside lane of the freeway just before rolling over it. He said when he noticed a bump, he pulled over in the emergency lane, went back to check and found the woman’s body. UHP said the case remains under investigation.

(ATLANTA)-Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent issued a seething assessment of American business practices during statements made in an interview with The Financial Times.

Kent said when a country faces economic trouble, a polarizing political process, such as what is being seen in the U.S. is not beneficial to business for the Atlanta-based company.

Kent blames the country’s slow economic recovery on Washington politicians as well as the country’s complicated tax code.

Kent made his statements at the same time he announced Coca-Cola’s expansion in other countries, featuring a $3 billion expansion in Russia as well as a $4 billion expansion in China.

Kent went so far as to compare China’s business practices to those of a well-managed company.

Web site, www.fidelity.com reported Coca-Cola receives about 41 percent of its annual sales and 19 percent of operating income from the U.S.

(AMERICAN FORK)-A 23-year-old Vernal man accused of murder in the death of a former Brigham Young University professor is mulling whether to withdraw his guilty plea or just be sentenced.

Benjamin Rettig pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and aggravated kidnapping, each of which are first-degree felonies, in a plea deal which reduced the murder charge for a capital offense, which may have led to the death penalty.

Rettig and the 24-year-old Martin Cameron Bond were both charged in the December 2010 killing of retired BYU professor Kay Mortensen after numerous firearms, belonging to Mortensen, were found at Bond’s Vernal home.

Prior to Rettig’s sentencing, he wrote a letter to 4th District Judge Thomas Low which stated that his attorneys pressured him into taking the plea deal and then lied in court concerning facts of the case.

Multiple hearings have since occurred and Rettig has yet to make a decision as to what he wants to do next.

Prosecutor Tim Taylor stated that until a sentence is pronounced, Rettig can ask to withdraw his plea while it would be up to the judge to allow such a measure.

Another hearing on the matter is slated for October 4.

Mortensen was found with his throat slit and his arms tied behind his back at his Payson home while his son and daughter-in-law arrived at the home when the slaying and robbery were in progress and eventually discovered the man’s body.

Police stated they gave conflicting accounts of the event while they were eventually charged with Mortensen’s death.

However, they were released and the charges were dismissed after a tip from Bond’s ex-wife led police to Rettig and Bond.

Last week, following a preliminary hearing, Bond was ordered to stand trial on charges of aggravated murder, a capital offense, three counts of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery, all of which are first-degree felonies.

MOAB, Utah (AP)-Amanda Sheets amassed four goals as the Grand Lady Red Devils stymied the Manti Lady Templars, 5-1 Tuesday in 2A East girls soccer action. Kelsie George scored in the loss for Manti.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)-Sarah Nilson amassed a hat trick while BrieAnn Peterson and Paula Ferracini also scored as the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs smacked the Richfield Lady Wildcats, 5-1 in 2A East girls soccer action Tuesday. Shaleigh Oldroyd scored the sole goal in defeat for Richfield.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)-Elisa Lozano, Mikael Thatcher and Tavia Rice each scored as the Parowan Lady Rams blanked the Beaver Lady Beavers, 3-0 Tuesday in 2A West girls soccer action. Makayla Frandsen earned the shutout for the Lady Rams.

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)-Haley Sorenson had two goals while Elise Waddingham also scored as the Delta Lady Rabbits doubled up the North Sanpete Lady Hawks, 4-2 in Region 12 girls soccer action Tuesday. Angela Hatfield and Stephanie Mower each scored in the loss for North Sanpete.

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)-Kennedy Springer posted 15 kills and the Delta Lady Rabbits swept the North Sanpete Lady Hawks, 3-0 Tuesday in Region 12 girls volleyball action.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Taylor Phelps amassed 25 digs, five assists and 31 aces and the Enterprise Lady Wolves outlasted the Richfield Lady Wildcats, 3-2 in Region 13 girls volleyball action Tuesday.

KANAB, Utah (AP)-Megan Buck posted 34 assists and seven digs while Calli Jackson stepped up with 12 kills and four blocks as the Kanab Cowgirls ousted the Beaver Lady Beavers, 3-1 Tuesday in Region 13 girls volleyball action.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)-Chennin Benson stepped up with 16 assists, eight kills and five blocks as the Parowan Lady Rams tripped up the Millard Lady Eagles, 3-2 in Region 13 girls volleyball action Tuesday.

(TACOMA, WA.) – A judge will decide on Wednesday who will have custody of Susan Powell’s two young boys. The children of the missing West Valley City mother were removed from their Puyallup, WA. home last Thursday because Josh Powell’s father, Steven, was arrested on child pornography charges. After hearing arguments today (Tuesday), the judge said she would review the evidence and make a decision on Wednesday. The four and six-year old boys had been living with their father at the home of his father. Josh Powell, along with his father-in-law, Chuck Cox, are seeking custody of the children. Josh Powell is a person of interest in the disappearance of his wife nearly two years ago and has not been charged in the case. An assistant attorney general said in court that Josh may also have been involved in the current criminal case involving his father.

(TUCSON, Ariz.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports a federal grand jury has returned a four count indictment against a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer, as well as five other people alleging that the group conspired to smuggle drugs into the country.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says the indictment alleges the group planned to bring marijuana through a Douglas, Ariz. Port of Entry while 32-year-old Luis Carlos Vasquez was on duty at the time.

The charges also allege that Vasquez allowed 547 kilograms of marijuana to pass through his inspection lane in June.

In a Monday statement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Vazquez’ arrest occurred last Friday and he had his initial appearance in federal court Monday.

The five others indicted are from Douglas and Agua Prieta, Mexico.

Officials stated four of the five individuals have been arrested, while a fifth is still at large.

(WASHINGTON)-Last Friday, the Utah Senate confirmed David Barlow to be the U.S. Attorney for the state, filling a spot that has been vacant since December 2009.

Since January, Barlow has served as the chief counsel for Utah Senator Mike Lee, while both Lee and state senior senator Orrin Hatch, each of the Judiciary Committee, have lionized him.

However, his appointment by President Barack Obama was met with disdain by Utah’s Democrats, who had hoped the state’s most popular Democrat, representative Jim Matheson, would have been placed in the influential position.

Both Hatch and Lee have denied striking a deal with the Obama administration and instead defended Barlow as a “brilliant attorney.”

No one involved with his appointment showed any opposition to him, The Salt Lake Tribune reports, and while Barlow has no experience in criminal cases, he has spent 10 years working on class-action suits at law firm Sidley and Austin’s Chicago-based office.

Oddly enough, this is the same office where Obama, and his wife Michelle, had previously worked.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Monday, Utah First Lady Jeanette Herbert exhorted fellow Utahns to take part in National Family Day by eating dinner with families.

Officials with the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Associated Retail Stores, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Utah’s Parent Teacher Association and www.parentsempowered.org, joined Herbert at a Dan’s Market in the Salt Lake Valley Monday in spreading the message of family dinners to the community.

Herbert said that while it is not easy to find the time to gather everyone for meals, it should be a priority and can have a significant impact on children later in their lives.

Dr. Richard Sperry, the commission chair of the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, said the family dinner initiative is in line with their “Parents Empowered” campaign that has already led to decreased alcohol use among minors.

Sperry thanked the local grocers who also helped in spreading the message while Herbert believes families eating together will help them forge great bonds especially in eradicating underage drinking and other common issues.

(DINOSAUR, Colo.)-Officials in Dinosaur, Colo., in the western portion of the state, near Vernal, are talking with the Ute Tribal Council about the potential collaboration on a casino project.

Informal conversations between Dinosaur Mayor L.D. Smith and members of the Ute Tribal Council have been ongoing for a while, stated Dinosaur’s Town Attorney Ed Sands.

A casino is among options Dinosaur has examined to booster the languishing economy and while the Ute Tribe’s headquarters are Utah based, where gambling is prohibited, its lands extends into Colorado and ends about two miles west of the town.

After a meeting last week with Dinosaur town council representatives, the Moffat County (Colo.) Commission and tribe, it appears the council will approve entering into an agreement with the tribe and studying the feasibility of bringing a casino the area, according to a report in the Craig (Colo.) Daily Press.

A predevelopment agreement between the town and the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation would have to be signed by both parties before the process can commence.

A draft of the agreement stated the Utes and the town council would evenly split the estimated $10,000 cost of contracting a third party to conduct a feasibility study.

Sands has said both the town and tribe are interested in developing a destination resort that would include a casino, a lodge or hotel, an RV park and a golf course.

Furthermore, the draft agreement includes an option for the Utes to purchase land while under federal Native American gaming regulations state a casino must be constructed on tribal land.

The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and the governor’s office would also have to approve an acquisition of the land.

Since the casino will be legally be located on the tribal land should the bureau approve the project, Moffat County and Dinosaur would be unable to collect tax revenue.

Sands said the Utes are willing to enter into an operating agreement to compensate Dinosaur for police services and exterior maintenance in lieu of taxes.

Sands also said the Ute Tribe would enter into an equal partnership with Dinosaur for the potential project.

Moffat County Commissioner Audrey Danner said she does not have enough information at her disposal to confirm whether she supports a casino project.

(PROVO)-When the Provo City Council meets Tuesday night, it is expected city councilman Steve Turley will be removed from office following an internal investigation into the councilman’s business dealings during his nearly eight years in office.

Last week, Provo Mayor John Curtis recommended Turley be removed for his impropriety.

A 45-day investigation conducted by former 4th District Judge Anthony Schofield found that the 43-year-old Turley violated the Utah Public Officers’ and Employees’ Ethics Acts in at least five ways, including the failure to disclose conflicts of interest and using his office to further his personal economic interests.

In an email to media members Monday, Turley has refuted each of the allegations, saying no official city action was taken without him disclosing his potential interest to the city’s elected leaders.

Council members have since reviewed Schofield’s report as well as Curtis’ recommendation for Turley’s dismissal while during Tuesday’s meeting, the council is expected to review his written response to the mayor’s report while considering possible disciplinary action.

The public will not be allowed to comment during the meeting and Schofield’s findings followed criminal charges filed against him by the Utah County Attorney’s Office in July, leading the mayor and City Council members to call for his resignation.

The councilman faces seven counts of communications fraud, two counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, and one count of patter of unlawful activity, each of which are second-degree felonies.

A hearing on these charges is slated for November 15 at American Fork.

On the same day he was charged, Turley informed city officials he would not resign, but rather would take a leave of absence from the city council.

Aside from his resignation, it is believed the easiest way to make drama go away was for him to be removed from office.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A University of Utah biochemist has been honored by the National Institutes of Health with their most prestigious honor for her work in tracing a genetic link to inflammatory diseases.

Brenda L. Bass, of the university’s School of Medicine’s biochemistry department, received the Director’s Pioneer Award, which comes with $2.5 million in funding over five years, while she joins 12 other scientists who will receive the award this year.

The Pioneer Award is intended to give exceptionally creative and productive scientists the opportunity to pursue high-risk, high-reward research in new areas, with the potential existing to make substantial discoveries in biomedical or behavioral research.

Bass has also made several discoveries in the past 25 years involving double-stranded RNA, as well as its role in inflammation, including triggers, associated with stress, immunity and aging.

Bass’ work could also lead to new drugs designed to treat the inflammatory component of many diseases.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Last week, University of Utah officials broke ground for a $22 million chemistry building that will house a complex of world-class equipment and researchers.

The edifice, the Thatcher Building for Biological and Biophysical Chemistry, will house several mass spectrometers to analyze chemicals, as well as entire floor for advanced undergraduate teaching laboratories, new organic and biochemical synthesis labs, imaging and spectroscopy equipment, as well as a new home for the theoretical chemistry program.

The building was designed by Salt Lake City-based VCBO Architects and will be constructed by Okland Construction, also of Salt Lake City.

Funding has been supported in part by an $8 million grant from the National Institute of Health while the 41,000-square foot building is named in honor of the Lawrence E. and Helen F. Thatcher family of Salt Lake City, who financially supported its construction.

The Thatcher family’s involvement in the chemical industry dates back to Nathan D. “Dee” Thatcher Jr., who co-founded Wasatch Chemical in the early 1900s.

The building is located southwest of the Henry B. Eyring building and construction is expected to be completed by spring 2013.

(ST. GEORGE)-Two St. George teens struck by lightning nearly a year ago will be giving back to the community next week.

On October 5, which commemorates the one-year anniversary of the time Alex Lambson and Dane Zdnuich were struck by lightning outside Snow Canyon High School, they will be raising money for the American Heart Association at Dixie ATC with a picnic at Vernon Worthen Park in downtown St. George.

Picnic dinners will be provided by Great Harvest Bread Company for $5 donations a plate, with all proceeds going toward helping to defer the costs of certification for many people taking the training classes.

The picnic will occur from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on the 5th while both young men are progressing from the incident.

Lambson still has digits that don’t work correctly, but he is attending Dixie State College while Zdunich will graduate from Snow Canyon High School next May and is working at a local grocery store.

(SEATTLE)-Sunday evening, a natural gas leak inside a home caused an explosion and fire which destroyed a north Seattle home and injured two residents, the city’s Fire Department confirmed.

Department spokesman Kyle Moore said a couple who lived in the house thought they smelled gas at the time but were uncertain, so they didn’t report it but as they arose Monday, they discovered the explosion.

Moore says the gas fumes were apparently sparked by an appliance malfunction.

The couple, each of whom are in their 50s, both suffered second-degree burns, while the woman was in serious condition in the Harborview Medical Center of Seattle’s intensive care unit, while the man was in “satisfactory condition, stated hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg Monday afternoon.

Gregg confirmed the man is in serious condition and was able to speak with investigators, while the woman suffered life-threatening injuries.

The explosion occurred around 6:00 a.m. PDT Monday and rattled homes across North Seattle while windows were broken in nearby homes and debris fell a block away.

Firefighters were still dousing hot spots two hours later as crews from Bellevue, Wash.-based Puget Sound Energy attempted to stop the natural gas leak.

The utility was investigating to see if this incident is linked to another natural gas leak which occurred five blocks away, stated company spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt.

(LOS ANGELES)-Tuesday, the trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson’s death was slated for commencement, with sufficient star power and a worldwide audience watching events unfold.

The case was expected to take a crucial step in a packed Los Angeles courtroom while featuring opening statements and the start of testimony.

It was expected Jackson’s family, including his parents and many of his siblings, would be present while proceedings will also be televised and broadcast online.

Significant information has already been revealed concerning Jackson’s 2009 death while the trial was expected to confirm a detailed record of the pop icon’s final hours.

It was anticipated the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray would signify the first time the public hears, in the defendant’s own words, his rendition of what happened in the bedroom of Jackson’s rented mansion.

Prosecutors are planning to call Jackson’s friend and choreographer, Kenny Ortega, as their first witness while over the course of the next five weeks, they will rely upon him, and other witnesses, to detail Jackson’s final days on this earth and explain to a jury, consisting of seven men and five women, exactly how the King of Pop died.

Meanwhile, Murray’s defense attorneys are hoping to find incongruity in the prosecution’s case and present their own theory that Jackson alone is the one responsible for his death.

Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor has presently limited what Murray’s lawyers can say concerning Jackson’s history with drugs and his financial troubles.

In turn, prosecutors have been limited in things they can say about Murray’s personal life, such as his significant debts and assertions he had several mistresses.

Should prosecutors ensue in the script they have adhered to thus far, the early part of the case will likely move in chronological order beginning with Jackson’s final days and then moving into his final hours.

Much of the testimony gleaned from numerous witnesses is expected to focus on propofol, which is normally administered in hospital settings.

Authorities have also contended Murray administered a lethal dose of the drug, along with other sedatives, and lacked sufficient lifesaving equipment for Jackson’s revival.

Defense attorneys have said they will present the theory that Jackson ingested, or somehow gave himself, the fatal dose.

(PROVO)-Two individuals hired to raise money for a group seeking to open a toll bridge over Utah Lake have been accused of running a scam.

The group Utah Crossing has presently been working on plans to build a toll bridge across Utah Lake, with an estimated cost around $600 million.

To assist in raising money for the project, the group hired two people who pitched themselves as “investment bankers and financial planners” capable of raising a lot of money.

Now these two bankers have been indicted in their New Jersey-based business as scam artists.

New Jersey Attorney General Paula T. Dow stated the 39-year-old Albert A. Paramito Jr. of Marlton, N.J. and Priti Ramjee of Toronto, Paramito’s partner, stole more than $500,000 from six clients around the country and Canada.

These clients include Utah Crossing which paid roughly $60,000 upfront for their services and received nothing in return.

As of September 16, a grand jury indicted Paramito and Ramjee for conspiracy, theft by deception and money laundering.

Additionally, Paramito and Ramjee were charged with second-degree misconduct by a corporate official.

Should they be convicted, the suspects could face up to 10 years in prison.

Presently, the Utah Transportation Commission has not yet decided if the state should grant a lease for this bridge to be constructed.

(WASHINGTON)-In bringing weeks of political concerns to an end, Monday night Congress finessed a dispute over disaster aid while advancing legislation to avoid a partial government shutdown just days before it may have occurred.

This agreement proceeded to ensure there would be no interruption in the assistance given to areas struck by disasters in the past few months, such as Joplin, Mo., while also confirming the government would be able to run normally as the new budget year commences Saturday.

The Senate approved this resolution after a day of extensive “behind-the-scenes” discussion and occasional scathing debate, bringing only the latest standoff between Republicans and Democrats over deficits, spending and taxes to a close.

The breakthrough occurred only hours after the Federal Emergency Management Agency indicated it had sufficient money for disaster relief efforts, at least through Friday.

This disclosure enabled lawmakers to jettison a $1 billion replenishment included in the measure, while cracking the gridlock it created.

The Democratic-controlled Senate approved this measure on a bipartisan vote of 79-12, sending it to the Republican-controlled House for the final signoff.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said this was a win for all parties while Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky stated this was a reasonable way for the government to remain operative.

Since the House is presently in a one-week break, it was not immediately clear how such legislation would be cleared for President Barack Obama’s signature.

(RICHFIELD) – An agreement was signed between Sevier County Commissioners and the state of Utah concerning 9-1-1 signage for addresses throughout the county. At the county commission meeting today, Commissioners approved $56,000 in state money to go towards the installation and signage for the new GPS address system being implemented in the county and the state. Also at the meeting, Commissioners approved an annual court security contract between the county and state for prisoners who appear in court and approved the construction agreement with Chad Broderick Construction of Orem for the building of the EMS/Monroe Maintenance Building project. Commissioners were also pleased to receive the Most Educational Ribbon at the county booth at the Utah State Fair this year.

(DELTA) – A memorial has been dedicated in remembrance of a Millard County deputy who gave her life in the line of duty in 2010. The sheriff’s office reported that the memorial was in honor of Deputy Josie Fox, who was shot to death on Jan. 5, 2010 during a traffic stop east of Delta on SR-50. Land for the memorial was donated by Reid and Jackie Ludwig of Delta and the memorial was created by Don Ipson. Other contributors included Jake Smith, Gary Walker and Walker Lumber, along with West Side Grading. Kevin Moore and the Millard County Maintenance crew helped set up the memorial. The sheriff’s office also awarded Lt. Mike Winget the Jail Commander of the Year Award in a separate ceremony in St. George.

(ST. GEORGE)-Next Saturday, October 1, St. George will celebrate its 35th annual marathon while the event will feature more than 7,400 runners representing 49 states and 12 countries.

The event will begin with the 25th annual mayor’s walk at 7:00 a.m. wherein Mayor Dan McArthur will walk with business associates, friends and family at the Bluff Street Park in the northern sector of the city.

The marathon will also be bolstered by a presentation from event historian Michael Shamm commemorating the Top 50 male and female legends of the St. George Marathon.

Additionally, the marathon will be preceded by a Friday evening Health and Fitness Expo sponsored by Nordic Track at the Dixie Convention Center which features a historical exhibit telling the story of each of the first 34 marathons in St. George history.

For more information on the marathon, please consult our events page or visit www.stgeorgemarathon.com.

(PANGUITCH) – A Washington woman was taken to the hospital after a crash on SR-12 Thursday involving a Richfield couple. According to a UHP report, 72-year old Joan Shrader of Kirkland, WA., was traveling westbound in a 2006 Toyota Corolla, when she attempted to turn left and was hit by a 2005 Dodge Dakato, driven by 66-year old Robert Memmott of Richfield at about 1pm. UHP said Memmott attempted to pass Shrader on the left and impacted her driver’s side door. She was transported to the Garfield Memorial Hospital with minor bruising and Memmott was not injured. His passenger, 65-year old Catherine Memmott, was also not injured. UHP reported that all were wearing their seatbelts.

(PRICE) – Two Sandy women were killed when the driver of their automobile crashed into a semi-trailer southeast of Price Friday afternoon. Utah Highway Patrol reported that 64-year old Sharlene Atkinson and 63-year old Lynnette Hulse were sitting in the back seat of their car, when the driver of another vehicle swerved off the road, overcorrected and hit their vehicle, pushing it into the path of an oncoming semi. UHP said the women were wearing seatbelts but both were killed in the accident. The driver of the semi was not seriously injured and the driver of the car that swerved was taken to an area hospital with critical injuries. The 1pm accident happened about 10 miles southeast of Price and caused the closure of the highway for nearly two hours.

(BRYCE CITY) – A Sandy motorcyclist was killed on SR-12 over the weekend when she crashed while riding with other motorcyclists. According to a UHP report, 49-year old Brenda Godfrey was riding a 2002 Yamaha motorcycle near Bryce Canyon on Saturday, when a pair of antelope ran across the road in front of several other motorcyclists at about 1pm. The group in front of Godfrey slowed to allow the animals to cross the road but Godfrey failed to slow down and skidded about 50 feet. UHP said Godfrey was thrown from her motorcycle and died at the scene. She was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

(TAYLORSVILLE) – A senior sister missionary from the LDS Church was killed in a trailer fire Thursday night while serving in the church’s Texas San Antonio Mission. According to Taylorsville Stake President John Jewkes, 69-year old Ann Jones suffered burns in the blaze due to a gas leak in a kitchen stove. Jewkes said that Jones and her husband, Steven, were preparing for bed when the fire broke out. Church Spokesman Scott Trotter said that Jones was immediately flown to the Brooks Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, where she later died with her husband at her side. Steven was not injured in the fire. The couple had been serving in Texas since February and had been living in a double-wide mobile home on a remote ranch owned by members of the LDS Church in Texas. Trotter said Church leaders have offered love and sympathy to the Jones’, along with their family, friends and ward members. They pray the spirit of the Lord will bring them peace, comfort and healing.

(PHOENIX)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports an Indianapolis man has been indicted on charges that he forced his young grandson on brutal hikes in triple-digit temperatures at the Grand Canyon this summer.

Thursday, federal prosecutors announced the six-count indictment against Christopher Carlson while he is scheduled to be arraigned on the child abuse charges Wednesday at Phoenix.

Prosecutors allege the 45-year-old Carlson deprived his three grandsons of food and water during two separate August hikes.

The boys proceeded to tell investigators they had been pushed, choked and pinched during the excursions.

An attorney representing Carlson in federal magistrate court earlier this month questioned the children’s statements, calling it improbable the hikes could have been completed without food or water.

A conviction of each of these counts carries a maximum of prison for life, a $250,000 fine, or both.

(VERMILION CLIFFS, Ariz.)-Three California condors will be released to the wild Saturday at the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument near Fredonia, Ariz. at 11:00 a.m. MST (Arizona Time) and the public is invited to witness the event.

Those who attend the release will be instructed to observe it from a viewing area where spotting scopes will be set up and experts will be on hand to answer questions.

This commemorates the 17th public release of condors in Arizona since the recovery program commenced in 1996.

The condors are hatched and reared in captivity at the Peregrine Fund’s headquarters in Boise, Idaho and then transported to the Kaibab National Forest for release to the wild.

Condors also come from the Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, among others.

Presently, 70 condors are in the wild throughout the Grand Canyon region and 198 of the 399 California condors in the world are in the wild in Utah, Arizona, California and Mexico.

For more information on how to get to Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, please visit http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/natmon/vermilion. html

(WOODS CROSS)-Wellford, S.C.-based Leigh Fibers Inc. has opened a plant near Woods Cross, where it hopes to fulfill its mission as a textile recycler by recycling millions of pounds of carpets annually.

The Utah plant will shear nylon fibers from carpets, which can be melted into plastics or sold as commercial stuffing material, stated spokeswoman Parris Hicks-Chernez.

Presently, seven workers are employed at the 66,000-square-foot plant inside the old Alumatek building between Woods Cross and North Salt Lake.

Leigh Fibers will share the building with Blue Ridge Recycling of Charlotte, N.C. while Blue Ridge will collect the carpets from installers in the Salt Lake City region, Hicks-Chernez stated.

Leigh Fibers intends to invest $5 million in the plant over five years, stated the Economic Development Corp. of Utah.

Hicks-Chernez says she does not know how many people will ultimately be employed at the plant but economic development officials are expecting an eventual headcount of at least 21 employees.

Leigh Fibers has been recycling carpets at its South Carolina plant for four years and the company has the capacity to process more than 1 million pounds of carpet per day.

Hicks-Chernez said recycled carpets have significant value in the world as crude oil prices have spiked, thus raising the demand for recycled nylon fibers.

Leigh Fibers, which also has offices in Spartanburg, S.C., Commerce, Calif., Montreal and Rockland, Mass. is a century-old family-owned business and has kept 14 billion pounds of carpets out of U.S. and Canadian landfills, Hicks-Chernez said.

(TRENTON, N.J.)-A severe shortage of drugs for chemotherapy, infections and other serious ailments is endangering patients and forcing hospitals to purchase life-saving medications from secondary suppliers at huge markups because they cannot get them any other way.

A review conducted by The Associated Press of industry reports and interviews with nearly two dozen experts found at least 15 deaths in the past 15 months blamed on the shortages either because the right drug was not available or because of dosing errors in other problems in administering or preparing alternative medications.

The shortages primarily involve widely-used generic injected drugs which are ordinarily cheap, have been delaying surgeries and cancer treatments, leaving patients in unnecessary pain and forcing hospitals to give less effective treatment to patients.

This has since resulted in complications and longer hospital stays.

In Utah, this drug shortage has compelled hospitals to hoard drugs for existing patients and turn them away in certain instances.

Just over half of the 549 U.S. hospitals responding to a survey this summer by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, a patient safety group, said they had purchased one or more prescription drugs from so-called “gray market vendors,” companies other than their normal wholesalers.

Hospital pharmacists are looking at this as a crisis and are scrambling to find any drugs they can, according to Joseph Hill of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists of Bethesda, Md.

A hearing on this issue occurred Friday before the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce committee while the Food and Drug Administration will conduct a Monday meeting with medical and consumer groups, researchers and industry representatives to discuss shortages and strategies with which to fight them.

The FDA says the primary cause of shortages involve production shutdowns because of manufacturing problems, such as contamination and metal particles working their way into medicine.

Institute president Michael Cohen, a pharmacist himself, has attributed at least 15 recent deaths to drug shortages according to reports by medical personnel, but says many deaths and injuries go unreported.

The hospital association and other groups have exhorted hospitals to not buy from the most unaccredited vendors, to insist on documentation of the drug’s source if needed, and to report price gouging to state authorities.

However, only three states, Kentucky, Maine and Texas, feature price-gouging laws that specifically cover medicines.

Pharmacist and head of drug procurement Michael O’Neal of the Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center has had to purchase medicines from secondary suppliers about 70 times over the past two years and said something must be done to rectify the problem.

(PRICE) – Big game hunters on the Manti-LaSal National Forest are being reminded of the changes in rules governing hunting and retrieving game. Since 2010, hunters on national forest lands have been prohibited from using motorized vehicles off designated road and trails to hunt or retrieve game. Previously, hunters were allowed to take motorized vehicles 150 feet off the road to get their game. In order to help hunters and other forest users remain in compliance with the rule, forest supervisors have developed the Motorized Vehicle Use Maps showing all official roads and trails on the forest. The maps can be reviewed online at www.fs.fed.us/r4/mantilasal/maps. Hunters are asked to be prepared to hunt and retrieve game on foot or horseback. Most hunters approve of the rule because motorized vehicles spook the game, making it difficult to hunt in a naturally, quiet habitat. Forest officials say that any violation of the rule is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for any organization.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Members of the NAACP from Idaho, Nevada and Utah gathered for the organization’s three-day regional convention Friday in Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City NAACP branch president Jeanetta Williams stated education and increasing membership are among the key components that will be discussed at the conference.

Workshops at the convention will focus on issues such as civil rights law, anti-bullying efforts, economic development and criminal justice.

During a Saturday lunch, the keynote speaker will be Aaron Romine, a regional director for the U.S. Department of Education.

A banquet is slated for Saturday evening and will include a speech by Rayford Irvin of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission who serves the greater Phoenix area.

(NEW YORK)-The Associated Press reports in a move which was expected by many international analysts and customers, the National Basketball Association has been unable to avoid the fate that the National Football League slipped out of during labor strife as training camps have been postponed indefinitely and 43 preseason games were cancelled Friday during a news conference between owners and NBA commissioner David Stern.

While the NFL was forced to cancel its annual Hall of Fame preseason game slated for August 7 at Canton, Ohio, all other preseason games were maintained and training camps went on as planned.

In the NBA, however, progress toward a new collective bargaining agreement has been anything but smooth.

In a league statement Friday, all NBA games scheduled through October 15 have been cancelled in addition to camps being delayed, The Associated Press reported.

However, both the owners and players, on opposite sides of this stalemate, are still holding out hope that the regular season, slated to begin November 1, can be saved.

The NBA has only lost games to a work stoppage once in its history, as the 1998-99 season was reduced to a 50-game schedule.

Many of the key issues that plagued the NFL’s labor strife are also infesting the NBA as owners and players are primarily debating how revenues should be divided while under the old CBA, which expired June 30, players were guaranteed 57 percent of revenues, while the salary cap’s structure is also being debated.

Both sides believe a new CBA must be reached by mid-October to avoid the cancellation of any regular season games.

Please note that if, or when, a new deal emerges, you will still be able to listen to Utah Jazz broadcasts on Mid-Utah Radio stations.

As always, please check our meticulously-updated “sports” page to see when these games will occur.

(ORLANDO, Fla.)-Friday, 2012 GOP presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmman challenged Texas Governor, another Republican candidate, on his assertion that people are heartless if they don’t support his Texas law which gives certain illegal immigrants in-state tuition rates at universities.

Romney, who was speaking at the Orlando, Fla.-based debate in an area featuring a significant Hispanic population, said opposition to illegal immigration does not imply someone is heartless, it just suggests they have a heart and a brain.

Bachmann said if she could work her will, there will be no taxpayer-subsidized benefits for illegal immigrants or their children and has also pledged to construct a fence along the U.S./Mexico border, a move Perry opposes.

Earlier in the week, a debate asserted Perry has a soft spot for illegal immigrants and at this debate, Romney and Bachmann were committed to painting their Texas rival in a negative light concerning this issue.

Perry, who had planned to speak at this event later Friday, defended the plan during the debate Thursday night notwithstanding conservatives’ general disdain for the notion.

Bachmann suggested Perry was not conservative enough to be the nominee primarily because he backed in-state tuition and opposed a border fence.

Bachmann also lambasted Romney saying he was a proselyte of Obamacare while oddly enough, Jon Huntsman Jr. was among Perry’s defenders on the matter of illegal immigration.

Other GOP presidential aspirants slated to speak at the meeting included former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Texas U.S. Representative Ron Paul, and Atlanta businessman Herman Cain.

The tie between Ryan Thompson and Jordan Stewart for the Gunnison City Council nominee was broken yesterday with the final count. Jordan Stewart will join Elise Bown, Blake Donaldsen, Brian Jensen, Melissa L. Judy and Kent R. Larsen as the sixth candidate for the Gunnison City council seats that will be open. Three candidates out of the six running for the positions will be elected in November.

(LEHI)-Saturday, the first phase of a new major east-west corridor is about to open for commuters in northwestern Utah County.

This stretch of the Mountain View Corridor will connect Redwood Road with Interstate 15 through northern Lehi south of Thanksgiving Point.

The project features a pair of new bridges, a bike path and a walking trail along the Jordan River.

Teri Newell, the Utah Department of Transportation’s project coordinator said this facility will greatly assist anyone in rapidly-growing Utah County who needs to access I-15, especially residents of Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs.

This $55 million road is a frontage road system, comparable to a divided highway with one-way eastbound and westbound lanes in either direction and signaled intersections.

The corridor will eventually grow and will eventually extend through western Salt Lake County until it ultimately connects with Interstate 80.

(PROVO)-The Utah Department of Transportation is admonishing motorists traveling along Interstate 15 in Utah County Friday that major traffic delays should be expected.

Officials are particularly exhorting drivers to be aware of this between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. MDT Friday and, if possible, should adjust commute times, particularly between University Parkway in Orem and University Avenue in Provo as fans head to the Brigham Young-Central Florida football game at LaVell Edwards Stadium this evening.

To avoid congestion at University Parkway, UDOT is advising drivers to use the 800 North exits in either direction in Orem which will connect to extreme northern University Avenue in Provo near the mouth of Provo Canyon.

Furthermore, motorists are advised to carpool during this time if possible and leave early from work if they plan to dine or tailgate in the stadium parking lot prior to the game.

Drivers not attending the game should also alter their work schedules, UDOT says, and, if possible, should avoid using I-15 or other major roadways.

Motorists traveling via I-215 should plan for lane restrictions as of 10:00 p.m. MDT Friday evening in either direction between 300 East and Redwood Road.

(WEST VALLEY CITY)-Late Thursday, police announced Steven Powell, the father-in-law of missing mother Susan Powell was arrested for voyeurism.

According to a statement from the Pierce County (Wash.) Prosecutor’s Office, the arrest was connected to the discovery of “thousands of images of females being videotaped without their knowledge” in the man’s home.

This reportedly included images of Susan Powell as well.

The 61-year-old Powell has since been charged with 14 counts of voyeurism and count of possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct while being taken into custody Thursday, the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office stated in its news release.

Additionally, some of the images and videos featured individuals as young as 8 years old in addition to to adults.

The photos depicted girls and women in various states of undress, often focusing on intimate parts of their bodies.

Sheriff’s officials stated some of the photos appeared to have been taken from the inside of Steven Powell’s home while it is believed the photos were taken between June 2006 and August 2007, when some of the victims lived next door to Steven Powell.

West Valley Police Department Sergeant Mike Powell issued a news release, saying this arrest is unrelated to the case involving Powell’s disappearance.

Police officers from both agencies served a warrant on the Puyallup, Wash. home Steven Powell shares with his son, Josh Powell as of August 25, while videos, journals belonging to Susan Powell, and all computers in the home were seized during the search.

Mike Powell stated his department would not be releasing any additional information concerning the arrest and referred calls to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.

Calls to the Powell home were not returned Thursday.

Friday, The Associated Press reported Steven Powell was also charged with possession of child pornography.

(RICHFIELD) – Two teachers in the Sevier School District are being featured in the newest Arch Coal, Inc. social responsibility report. Janiece Tuttle, who lives in Richfield and teaches at Ashman Elementary, says receiving the Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award earlier this year, is the result of team teaching. Tuttle commented that it’s a joy to help students read and study better and become greater citizens. Ashlee Larsen, who lives in Central Valley and teaches at Monroe Elementary, also received the award. The Arch Coal Foundation is in its sixth year in its teacher recognition program in Sevier, Sanpete, Emery and Carbon County, where the Skyline, Dugout Canyon and Sufco Mines are operating. Teachers nominate recipients for the award each year. Between now and Jan. 9, 2012, teachers may nominate online at www.archteacherawards.com.

(TUCSON, Ariz.)-KVOA-TV, Channel 4 in Tucson, Ariz. reports smugglers attempted to bring a ton of pot into Arizona from Mexico Tuesday according to the Border Patrol.

Additionally, the Border Patrol says the marijuana brought in was worth $1.1 million while they also recovered a stolen vehicle in a separate incident in southern Arizona.

Agents working at the Casa Grande station northeast of Lukeville, Ariz. tracked down a pickup truck concealed in the brush near Federal Route 34.

A search of the vehicle revealed 84 bundles of marijuana inside, weighing more than 1,900 pounds and valued at $955,500.

Wednesday, near Tucson, agents watched six suspected illegal immigrants walking near Three Points while as agents closed in, the immigrants fled into the desert, leaving six bundles of marijuana behind, weighing 312 pounds and valued at $156,000, along with a handgun.

(CEDAR CITY)-As of January 2012, customers who fly on St. George-based SkyWest Airlines will be able to fly to Cedar City aboard the 50-passenger Bombardier-manufactured Canadair Regional Jet 200.

Mike Thompson, SkyWest’s Vice President of Market Development said the airline is pleased to offer jet service to Cedar City passengers and increased passenger support has been seen in the area while this gives residents another reason to fly locally.

SkyWest will begin operating two daily Delta connection roundtrips on January 4, 2012, while passengers may begin booking flights on October 1 at www.delta.com or by calling Atlanta-based Delta’s reservations phone number at 1-800-221-1212.

The current flight schedule and service on board the Embraer-manufactured EMB 120 Brasilia will continue through the end of 2011.

(WASHINGTON)-Republican David Barlow is only one vote away from becoming Utah’s next U.S. attorney, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination on a voice vote Thursday making it likely he will win Senate confirmation in the near future.

Barlow, who is presently working at the legal counsel for Utah Senator Mike Lee and was suggested to President Barack Obama by Lee and Senator Orrin Hatch, both of whom sit on the Judiciary Committee.

If confirmed, Barlow would be the first full-fledged U.S. Attorney in the state since Brett Tolman stepped down in December 2009.

While Hatch and Lee are both pleased with Barlow’s nomination, Utah Democrats remain frustrated that Obama did not pick a Democratic lawyer for the position.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Wednesday, Primary Children’s Medical Center was awarded an $100,000 grant to support childhood cancer research and, specifically, a new treatment for Ewing’s sarcoma, a highly aggressive form of bone cancer.

The Salt Lake City-based children’s hospital adjacent to the University of Utah, was one of 71 recipients of the award, which is part of Hyundai’s Hope on Wheels program, which handed out $7.1 million to support research and other programs in honor of September’s National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Since 1998, the grant program has donated $43 million to childhood cancer efforts.

During Wednesday’s ceremony which commemorated the reception of the grant, local children battling against cancer painted their hand prints on a canvas to represent their personal triumphs.

For more information on the initiative, please visit www.HyundaiHopeonWheels.org.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A Utah legislative committee is asking for a broader investigation of a former transit board member who made millions on the sale of land adjacent to a future commuter rail station.

Wednesday, the Transportation Interim Committee says they want a formal investigation into the business dealings of developer Terry Diehl, while he served on the Utah Transit Authority Board.

A 2010 audit said Diehl properly disclosed his conflicts and did not participate in decisions concerning property he owned.

The only possible crime was a misdemeanor for misuse of information while the Utah Attorney General’s Office has an ongoing investigation, but would not comment on specifics.

Republican Greg Hughes of Draper, who sits on the UTA board, says the sale was private and outside of the board’s purview.

(SAN FRANCISCO)-Thursday, nurses began picketing outside dozens of Northern and Central California hospitals as part of a one-day strike concerning benefit cuts and other concessions sought by hospital management.

The strike, which affects 33 non-profit hospitals run by Kaiser Permanente of Oakland, Calif. and Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health as well as the Independent Children’s Hospital of Oakland began at 7:00 a.m. PDT Thursday, stated California Nurses Association spokesman Charles Idelson.

The CNA organized the strike and the union expects nearly 23,000 nurses to walk off the job at hospitals, which include Kaiser facilities at Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose, Calif. as well as the Berkeley, Calif. and Oakland campuses of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, a Sutter Health-affiliated hospital.

Hospital officials said they have made preparations for this strike while some Sutter Health facilities are expected to bring in replacement nurses, which is underway at Oakland’s Independent Children’s Hospital.

The focus of the planned strike is Sutter Health, where contract talks are presently underway at numerous hospitals.

Management has since proposed a broad range of concessions that would affect nurses and patients, union officials stated.

The union said in addition to asking nurses to accept thousands of dollars in higher costs for their own health care, Sutter’s proposed concessions would reduce certain nurses’ abilities to advocate for patients, cut pay for newly hired nurses and slash vacations and holiday pay.

Union members at Children’s Hospital, who have been bereft of a contract for a year, have objected to a proposed increase in the cost of a health care plan the hospital offers.

The planned walkout by nurses at Kaiser was intended to manifest solidarity with other Kaiser employees who are presently in contract talks and facing demands for cuts in health and retirement benefits, Idelson said.

The strike was only scheduled for one day, but Sutter Health and Children’s Hospital officials said nurses would not be able to return to work immediately because the hospitals’ contracts with replacement agencies require a minimum number of days of service.

(RICHFIELD) – The Central Utah Public Health Department in Richfield is reminding people that the first shipment of flu vaccine is available at several clinics in the Six-County area. Clinic hours in Richfield for all ages are from 10-11am on Sept. 28, Oct. 5 and Oct. 12. The vaccine will also be available at the Marysvale Elementary School on Oct. 4 from 1-1:30pm, at the Junction office Oct. 13 from 1:30-5:30pm and at the Koosharem Fire House on Oct. 25 from 1:30-4:30pm. CUPHD officials say a routine annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons aged six months and older.

(MIAMI)-During remarks at a Miami town-hall meeting Wednesday, 2012 GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney raised eyebrows ahead of Thursday’s Republican debate at Orlando, Fla.

Romney succinctly told those in attendance Americans want straight talk, while later he proposed less Americans earning $200,000 annually should not pay taxes on interest, dividends or capital gains.

Romney also stated America needs to help those hurt the most by this languishing economy, which he identified as the middle class.

Disclosure forms filed last Friday reveal Romney and his wife possess personal financial assets worth as much as $264 million while some observers have said Romney’s willingness to have numerous public-town meetings are an attempt to give the impression he is in touch with “average voters.”

(MANCHESTER, N.H.)-A new poll shows Mitt Romney has maintained his lead among GOP presidential hopefuls in New Hampshire while Jon Huntsman Jr. is gradually gaining approval in the Granite State.

The poll conducted by Boston-based Suffolk University and WHDH-TV, Channel 7 in Boston shows Huntsman has picked up 6 percentage points in the first-primary state since the university’s last poll in June.

At this time, Huntsman had 4 percent of the vote and presently, he is at 10 percent while pulling ahead of national poll frontrunner Rick Perry, who is presently at 8 percent in New Hampshire.

The poll shows Romney still maintains a commanding lead in the state at 41 percent, while he has become familiar with New Hampshire residents, having launched his campaign there this summer.

According to Politico, the poll surveyed 400 likely Republican primary voters from September 18-20 and the margin of error is at 4.9 percentage points.

(EUREKA)-After losing his wife several years ago, Eureka resident Art Cornish has assisted his friends and neighbors by starting a local food bank in the rural Juab County community.

Monthly, Cornish receives a delivery from the Utah Food Bank after which people line up in a church parking lot as he dispenses the food to those in need.

Cornish says he wishes there was more he could do but at times, food supplies are limited and people are often embarrassed for having to come to him to have enough to eat as the economy in the mining town remains stagnant.

Ultimately, Cornish says he will help anyone who comes to him, and stated he despises human suffering.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-NASA is informing Americans that space junk is expected to penetrate through the Earth’s atmosphere within the next few days although the risk isn’t necessarily high at this stage.

NASA says the odds of someone being hurt by this outer space debris nets only a 1 in 3,200 chance but if people cast their eyes toward the heavens, a chance exists they will witness a rare occurrence.

The debris, which will come from a decaying satellite, is expected to pass over Utah twice a day before it eventually disintegrates, NASA said.

Estimates from NASA have the junk disintegrating in the atmosphere sometime on Friday in Utah while the organization predicts some 26 pieces of metal will survive the fiery reentry and hit the earth.

It is expected that one chunk weighs several hundred pounds while at 13,000 pounds, the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite is the biggest piece of space debris to fall to the Earth in 30 years.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-An expansive marketing campaign, along with increased outreach efforts have assisted in the dramatic decrease of the number of Utahns dying from prescription doses annually.

Teresa Garrett the directer of the Utah Health Department of Health Disease Control and Prevention says this is among the more winnable health battles waged in the state during the state Legislature’s Health and Human Services Interim Committee.

However, even with the recent decline, Garrett confirmed more people are dying from drug overdoses than automobile accidents in the state.

Utah is halfway through a 10-year study concerning the issue after being named 4th nationally for its higher-than-average prevalence of prescription drug abuse.

In the interim, officials have begun changing policies and implementing helpful strategies along the way, making it easier for those addicted to prescription pain medication to get assistance.

Overdose victims in the Beehive State range in age from 25 to 54 while just as many men are affected as women and of those, nearly 90 percent suffer from chronic pain, which Garrett stated is difficult to treat.

Garrett stated the majority of those who use or abuse prescription medication are unemployed and are also consistently socially isolated, lived alone, were unmarried and did not attend church or maintain a job.

CDC data also attests most of those individuals are uninsured.

Garrett said while much work remains to be done, progress has been made by this initiative.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Sen. Orrin Hatch will have the support of a new political action committee for his re-election bid. Organizers of the Strong Utah PAC say it was created to counter efforts to unseat the longtime Republican senator by special interest groups, including FreedomWorks, who are trying to buy the election with handpicked candidates. A spokesman for FreedomWorks says the new PAC continues an outside-special-interest smear campaign against the organization based in Washington D.C. The new PAC is separate from the Hatch Re-election Campaign Committee and will independently research and produce campaign materials, including TV and radio commercials, website and Web advertising.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Utah Food Bank will conduct a statewide food drive this Saturday at all Walmart parking lots in the state, as part of Hunger Action Month. Food drive organizers say that all non-perishable food items will be accepted and ask all donors to contribute as much as they can, due to declining supplies. The Board of Directors of the Utah Food Bank have also announced that Karen Sendelback has been named Chief Executive Officer. She replaces Jim Pugh, who has been at the helm for the last 13 years. Sendelback brings 30 years of non-profit experience to the position, with leadership roles in several organizations across the country, including Friends of the World Food Program, the American Kidney Fund, the American Lung Association and American Red Cross.

(SPRINGDALE) – Zion National Park officials are planning to ignite over 650 acres along the eastern boundary of the park starting next week. The Clear Trap Prescribed Fire will be ignited adjacent to the Zion Ponderosa Ranch with the objective of providing protection for surrounding property and structures. Park officials say the fire hazard along the park boundary is threatening developed property and the natural ponderosa pine forest ecosystem. Fire managers say the area was first burned in the fall of 2004 and is in need of a second burn. The fire will be ignited on Sept. 26 and be concluded on Oct. 15, depending on weather conditions.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Tuesday, at the “Breakfast for Smiles,” hosted by the Utah chapter of Operation Smile, the organization honored The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ 75-year-old Welfare Program.

In his keynote remarks for the meal sponsored by the international children’s medical charity which provides free reconstructive surgery to children born with clefts in their faces, Presiding Bishop H. David Burton spoke of the Church’s ongoing partnership with Operation Smile, saying many lives have been blessed by the generosity of people throughout the world.

Bishop Burton also spoke of the Church’s initiatives throughout the world such as improving the quality of drinking water in third-world countries, improving eyesight of the visually impaired and providing wheelchairs and nutritious food for the disabled or those suffering from malnutrition, respectively.

Dr. Bill Magee, the co-founder and executive chairman of Norfolk, Va.-based Operation Smile also thanked the LDS Church and its membership for the generosity and good will they share with the world.

(JUNCTION) – The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area has approved funding for five Sanpete County projects. At their last meeting in Junction, the Heritage organization approved $38,000 to go towards the projects, including $2,000 for the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Schoolhouse, next to the Patton House in Manti and $14,500 for restoration efforts at the Historic Manti City Hall. Other funds included $6,650 to assist in the preservation of the Ephraim Co-op building, $10,000 for the Pioneer Rock Church in Centerfield and $5,000 for the new Veteran’s Memorial at the Gunnison City Park. Board members said $25,000 in funding for the old school in Spring City will have to wait. Funds for projects are approved according to a 50-50 match from the municipalities or organizations seeking the money.

(PAROWAN)-Utah Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee along with all three of the state’s congressmen have teamed up to propose legislation allowing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to lethally remove the animals from cemeteries and airports located within the range of the Utah prairie dog.

Presently, federal wildlife managers may only eradicate the animals from agricultural areas.

The federal government lists the Utah prairie dog as a threatened species while they have done extensive damage to the Paragonah Cemetery as well as the Parowan Airport runway in Iron County.

Hatch said Iron County’s hands are tied in dealing with the prairie dog epidemic while this bill would ensure resources are dedicated toward curbing it.

Lee stated protecting the issue goes beyond desecration of a burial site and the public safety hazard an airport would provide.

Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who represents Utah’s 3rd District, said prairie dogs should not be elevated above health and welfare of residents while airport manager Dave Norwood said the state’s Division of Wildlife Resources has been trapping and relocating prairie dogs from the airport to the Bryce Canyon area.

Lindsey Sterling Krank of the Boulder, Colo.-based Prairie Dog Coalition said the program only has a 5-10-percent success ratio, meaning the majority of prairie dogs are dying off.

Krank has suggested her organization and the state of Utah work together while the state has pushed hard to implement its own conservation measures, spending $1.9 million to help preserve the wild areas where it lives and control outbreak of the disease.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Tuesday evening, the service-oriented lives of six Salt Lake City area community leaders, including Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints President Thomas S. Monson, were honored and celebrated by the Rotary Club of Salt Lake City during the 100-year-old organization’s Centennial Gala at the Salt Palace Grand Ballroom.

Additionally, renowned LDS member Jon Huntsman Sr., the founder and chairman of the Huntsman Corporation, Kem C. Gardner, the chairman of the KC Gardner Company, Beverly Taylor Sorenson, the co-founder of the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, Major General Brian L. Tarbet, Adjutant General of the Utah National Guard and Ezekiel Dumke Jr., the co-founder of the Katherine W. and Ezekiel Dumke Jr. Foundation were also honored.

President Monson was honored for his personal ministry’s depth and breadth which officials say goes beyond his ministry as president of the Salt Lake City-based worldwide church.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert was on hand at the event to congratulate the recipients’ efforts and all those honored have set an example for the community to serve one another more effectively.

(MOAB)-Last week, a southeastern Utah school teacher pleaded guilty to charges he illegally sold a Native American turkey feather blanket as well as a prehistoric women’s apron.

Friday, Blanding resident David A. Lacy entered the plea in U.S. District Court as he faced three misdemeanor counts of trafficking stolen artifacts while prosecutors said Lacy sold the artifacts to an undercover informant in December 2007.

Lacy is slated for sentencing in December while U.S. Magistrate Judge Samuel Alba also sentenced two others in this ensuing trafficking case.

The 58-year-old Kevin Shumway of Blanding was ordered to 12 months of probation for his role in assisting Lacy to sell the artifacts.

Additionally, 50-year-old Rulon Kody Sommerville of Monticello was ordered to 12 months of probation for selling a Native American knife to an undercover agent.

(HUNTSVILLE, Texas)-Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs, currently serving a life sentence in prison, is en route to a Texas state prison following his discharge from a hospital at another prison where he was treated after becoming sick during fasting.

Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark said Jeffs’ discharge occurred Monday evening from the state prison hospital at Galveston, Texas.

Clark has said he will receive further treatment within a prison infirmary until he is well enough to return to his cell and continue his sentence.

Clark declined to identify the 55-year-old Jeffs’ destination for security reasons.

(ATLANTA)-As the last days in the life of 42-year-old Troy Davis’ before impending execution in Georgia awaits him at 7:00 p.m. EDT Wednesday evening, supporters are planning vigils throughout the world.

His backers have tried everything at their disposal, including having him take a polygraph test and exhorting others to even appeal to the White House for a reprieve.

Among Davis’ supporters are former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Pope Benedict XVI, the NAACP and other conservative figures.

The U.S. Supreme Court even gave Davis an unusual opportunity to prove his innocence last year after killing Savannah, Ga. officer Mark MacPhail in 1989 while several judges have listened to recanted testimony from witnesses and jurors who say they would change their verdicts, knowing the facts revealed later.

MacPhail was off-duty and working security at a bus station on August 19, 1989 and rushed to the aid of homeless man Larry Young who prosecutors attest Davis was bashing with a handgun after asking him for a beer.

When MacPhail arrived, they said Davis had a smirk on his face as he shot the officer to death in a Burger King parking lot while others claimed the man with him that night said he actually shot the 27-year-old police officer.

Davis’ attorney, Stephen Marsh, said his client would only submit to a polygraph test if pardons officials were to consider the measure.

At Savannah, 16 of Davis’ supporters gathered to press District Attorney Larry Chisholm to help stop his execution and said 240,000 people had signed petitions exhorting the state to spare his life while they delivered them to Chisholm’s courthouse.

Chisholm has said he is powerless to intervene in this instance but activists believe he has enough influence as district attorney to sway this outcome.

(MIAMI)-Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is raising new questions in Florida about his rival Rick Perry’s position on Social Security.

During a Miami town-hall style meeting Romney asserted Perry’s proposal to have states run the retirement system will not work and asked what would happen should some states not opt to create a Social Security plan as well as what would happen should people move from one state to another with a different system.

Romney says he wants to keep Social Security intact at the federal level and make changes to keep it financially healthy in the future.

The Miami event comes just before the next big GOP presidential debate at Orlando, Fla. while it is expected Social Security will be a key issue during the debate.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A Salt Lake City airline passenger is facing federal charges after allegedly carrying a knife onto an airplane and verbally threatening police and FBI agents.

Shortly after taking his seat on a Sunday Delta Airlines flight from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas, the 60-year-old David Alan Anderson began elbowing a passenger next to him to claim the “armrest,” according to a federal complaint while he then placed his foot on the passenger’s leg.

Roughly five minutes later, the passenger saw Anderson staring at him and told the passenger if he had a knife, he would slit his throat, the complaint attests.

The passenger informed flight attendants of Anderson’s threats, and they noticed Anderson reached into his bag several times with something cupped in his hand.

The flight crew then contacted Salt Lake City police.

Anderson later denied having a weapon on him but during a consensual search, police located a Gerber folding knife with a 3 1/2-inch blade after which police handcuffed him and took him to the airport’s police station.

The complaint asserts Anderson smelled slightly of alcohol but did not appear to be drunk while he faces charges of dangerous weapon on an aircraft and retaliation against a federal law enforcement officer by threat of murder.

(VERACRUZ, Mexico)-Wednesday, suspected drug traffickers dumped 35 bodies at rush hour beneath a busy overpass in the heart of Veracruz, Mexico as gunmen pointed weapons at frightened motorists in the area.

Mexican authorities said they are examining surveillance video for clues to who committed the crime.

Horrified motorists grabbed cell phones and sent Twitter messages, admonishing others to avoid the area near the biggest shopping mall in Boca del Rio, part of the metropolitan area of 554,830 residents in the Gulf Coast region of the North American country.

This gesture signified a sharp escalation in central violence in Veracruz state, which sits on an important route for drugs and Central American immigrants heading northbound especially with the notorious Zetas drug cartel presently battling other organizations for control of the state.

Presently, prosecutors say it is too soon to draw conclusions from the surveillance video while Veracruz State Attorney General Reynaldo Escobar Perez told Televisa authorities do not want to get ahead of themselves.

Escobar said the remaining bodies were left piled in two trucks as well as on the ground under the overpass near the statue of the Voladores de Papantla, ritual dancers from Veracruz state while he said some of the victims had their heads covered with black plastic bags and showed signs of being tortured.

Thus far, authorities have identified seven of the victims, all of whom had criminal records for murder, drug trafficking, kidnapping and extortion while being linked to the organized crimes, Escobar stated.

Motorists also posted warnings on Twitter and said the masked gunmen were in military uniforms and were blocking Manuel Avila Camacho Boulevard.

Presently, Veracruz is hosting a conference of Mexico’s top state and federal prosecutors as well as judiciary officials.

Local media stated 12 of the victims were women and some of the dead men had been among prisoners who escaped from three Veracruz prisons Monday although Escobar denied the escaped convicts were among the dead.

At least 32 inmates escaped from three Veracruz prisons and police recaptured 14 of them.

Drug violence has also claimed more than 35,000 lives across Mexico since 2006, government figures attest.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Tuesday, lawmakers stated there should be an extra $60 million left over after the books are closed on the 2011 budget, lawmakers were told.

The actual size of the surplus from the budget year that ended June 30 is expected to be about $107 million, at the high end of an earlier estimate.

However, because of the statutory requirements that a portion of any surplus be deposited in the Rainy Day Fund and other accounts, the amount available to spend should be just under $60 million.

House Budget Chairman Mel Brown of Coalville says this is better than a deficit and is a confirmation the state is moving out of the “deficit side.”

Brown said presently discussion is already ongoing concerning how to spend the money and lawmakers were informed before the end of the budget year to expect a surplus between $10 million and $110 million.

A report to the Legislature’s Executive Appropriations Committee showed about 60 percent of the additional revenue came from income taxes while income tax collections increased more than 9 percent from the 2010 to the 2011 budget.

Senate President Michael Waddoups of Taylorsville has said that given the size of the state budget, the $60 million presently available to lawmakers is money not worth discussing.

The state spent around $12 billion in the previous budget year and is expected to do the same through June 30, 2012.

New revenue projections for the next budget year are expected to be set later this fall and Waddoups said notwithstanding the surplus, state agencies can expect to face a fourth year of budget reductions when the 2012 Legislature begins meeting in late January.

(RICHFIELD) – The 19th Annual ATV Jamboree kicked off Monday night at the Richfield City Park with a barbeque for the riders and a week-long trip through the Paiute ATV Trail System. Events organizer Kevin Arrington said hundreds of ATV enthusiasts have come from all over the country. Arrington said it was a thrill to begin the 19th annual event on Sept. 19 this year with over 600 riders participating. He said rains last week dampened the hills in the trail system, making conditions perfect to keep the dust down, along with beautiful fall weather.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Snow College President Scott Wyatt was among the presidents at Utah’s institutions of higher learning who said “thanks, but no thanks,” to the state’s Board of Regents unanimous decision to give raises to these collegiate leaders.

Wyatt sent an open letter to staff and faculty Sunday, stating he would not take the raise until the Legislature should approve the college budget’s request for salary increases for faculty and staff.

Regents chairman David Jordan said it was essential to raise salaries in order to retain talented presidents and attract new ones while the state’s flagship institution, The University of Utah, is searching for a permanent replacement for former President Michael K. Young after departing for the University of Washington in April.

Last Friday, the Regents officially voted to give raises totaling $100,000 to eight of Utah’s college and university presidents while the board also voted to commission an in-depth study to look at in further raising salaries to keep the state competitive in its search for presidents.

Officials stated the salaries for all of Utah’s educational institution presidents are 20 to 30 percent lower than the national average.

Also joining Wyatt in turning down the raise were Utah State University president Stan Albrecht, University of Utah interim president Lorris Betz, Utah Valley University president Matthew Holland and Weber State University president Ann Milner, who said she will make a gift to the Ogden-based institution’s WSU foundation.

Milner has not since said whether this donation will include the entire $18,278 pay increase, or just a portion of it.

Dixie State College President Stephen Nadauld is retaining part of his raise while his spokesman, Steve Johnson, said Nadauld will use the $20,000 raise he obtained Friday to donate generously to the St. George-based institution’s scholarship fund.

Inquiries concerning the raises for Southern Utah University President Michael Benson and Salt Lake Community College President Cynthia Bioteau were not responded to by their respective offices.

Legislative leaders became enraged by the Board’s decision as Senate President, Republican Michael Waddoups of Taylorsville, stated his concerns for the raises sending the wrong message to staff and faculty who have not seen a raise in years.

Waddoups added that the higher education system will have a difficult time getting more money with this move.

DELTA, Utah (AP)-The North Sanpete Lady Hawks’ tennis team closed out the Region 12 season with a 4-1 win over the Delta Lady Rabbits Tuesday.

Winners for the Lady Hawks included Ana Bentley in 1st singles, earning 6-1, 6-3 victories, Mikaela Angerhofer in 2nd singles, 6-7, 6-0, 6-4, Lindee Christensen and Abby Christensen in 1st doubles, 6-2, 6-3 and Lynsie Clark and Kaytie Nielson in 2nd double, 6-3, 6-1.

The Lady Hawks finished second in Region 12, posting a 6-2 record in region play and an 11-8 mark overall.

North Sanpete will next compete in the Region 12 tournament Friday September 30 at the Snow College tennis courts in Ephraim while the state tournament at Brigham Young University in Provo will occur the following week.

(PAGE, AZ.) – A North Carolina man was rescued near the same area that inspired the movie, “127 Hours”. National Park Service officials reported that 64-year old Amos Richard, of Concord NC., was hiking in an area known as “The Maze” in Canyonlands National Park and fell about 10 feet, breaking his leg. NPS said Richards attempted to crawl back to his car near the Willow Flat Campground but the effort stretched into four days and three nights until rescuers found him on Sept. 12. In addition to his leg fractures, Richards suffered internal injuries and dehydration from his painful ordeal. Rescuers said the man did have five litres of water and two power bars with him but no map. The search began when park rangers discovered Richard’s abandoned campsite several days after he left on his hike. He was eventually spotted in an area near where Aron Ralston was forced to cut off his own arm with a pocket knife after being trapped by a falling boulder in a May 2003 rock climbing accident. Richards was taken to the Moab Regional Hospital and released today in good condition.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Attorneys for environmental activist Tim DeChristopher are accusing Sen. Orrin Hatch for influencing their clients sentencing on charges of disrupting a federal oil and gas lease auction. Defense attorneys Pat Shea and Ron Yengich, in an opinion column published in the Salt Lake Tribune, said Hatch called Judge Dee Benson after DeChristopher’s trial was over and suggested the length of time Tim should serve in federal prison. The attorneys claimed Hatch called the judge before sentencing. Shea declined to identify the sources he said supplied him with “credible evidence”, adding that Hatch recommended a four-to-six-year term. Benson, a one-time Hatch chief-of-staff, did not comment and Hatch’s spokeswoman, Heather Barney, strongly denied Hatch recommended a sentence. Hatch said “he doesn’t talk to judges unless their cases are already decided and Shea is making false assertions.”

(NEW YORK)-Tuesday, current Texas Governor and 2012 GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry criticized the Palestinian Authority’s effort to seek formal recognition by the U.N. General Assembly and assailed the Obama administration’s broader policies in the Middle East.

During a New York speech, Perry pledged strong support for Israel and criticized President Barack Obama for demanding concessions from the Jewish Middle Eastern state Perry has said emboldens the Palestinians to appeal for U.N. recognition.

In a statement before Perry’s address, his GOP contender Mitt Romney also navigated into the tense foreign policy dispute concerning Middle Eastern policy.

He called the jockeying with the United Nations this week an “unmitigated disaster,” and accused the Obama administration of throwing Israel under the bus while undermining its negotiating position.

Perry also criticized Obama’s stated goal that any negotiations should be based on the borders Israel had before the Six-Day War in 1967 when its territory increased.

While the 1967 borders have traditionally been the basis for diplomatic negotiations, they have never been embraced before by a U.S. president, a notion Perry referred to as “insulting and naive.”

Perry’s remarks came at a time when the Obama administration has redoubled its efforts to block the Palestinian bid and in a veto, the U.S. has promised a veto in the Security Council.

However, the Palestinians can opt to press for a more limited recognition of statehood before the full, and much more supportive, General Assembly.

Additionally, Perry expressed support for allowing Jewish settlements to be constructed on the West Bank, a practice Obama has asked the Israeli government to cease in.

Perry believes all of the city of Jerusalem should be in Israeli territory, a move that would keep key religious and historical sites in The Holy City within the parameters of the Jewish state established in May 1948.

Israeli forces captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967.

Perry even suggested he would transfer American diplomatic personnel out of Tel Aviv and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Romney stated the possibility of limiting Israel’s negotiating flexibility must cease and called upon Obama to unequivocally reaffirm the U.S’ commitment to national security while promising to cut foreign assistance to the Palestinians should they succeed in granting the U.N. recognition.

Perry and Romney both agree the U.S. should reconsider its funding for the U.N. should the global body vote to recognize the Palestinian Authority.

Each of these GOP hopefuls have pledged to stand circumspectly behind Israel should they be elected to the White House, a stance which would make them more appealing to Jews and evangelical Christians alike.

Obama was in New York Tuesday for meetings concerning the General Assembly and planned to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this week.

(FREDONIA, Ariz.)-KVOA-TV, Channel 4 in Tucson, Ariz. reports The Grand Canyon Trust, Kaibab National Forest, the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the Arizona Deer Association will celebrate National Public Lands Day September 24 by partnering to restore the mule deer habitat on the Kaibab Plateau.

This process will involve 15 volunteers from the Grand Canyon Trust and the Arizona Deer Association who will work with Kaibab National Forest and Arizona Game and Fish employees to reseed public lands dominated by the non-native cheatgrass.

Cheatgrass is an evasive annual grass which generally invades the Kaibab Plateau’s western sector, and has been an issue since 1996 after the Bridger Knolls Complex fire burned 56,000 acres in northern Arizona.

The Forest Service and Arizona Game and Fish are now implementing a 30,000-acre mule deer habitat restoration project which will inlcude planting native grasses and shrubs, which will reduce cheatgrass cover.

Volunteers will be assisting in these efforts by planting native seeds throughout the affected area which will eventually provide winter forage for Kaibab’s world-class mule deer herd as well as other wildlife.

The Grand Canyon Trust’s ultimate mission is to protect and restore the Colorado Plateau while annually, volunteers contribute more than 14,000 hours toward conservation and restoration projects on public lands throughout the region.

For more information, please visit www.grandcanyontrust.org.

(SOCORRO, N.M.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports a small plane crashed in Socorro, N.M., Monday afternoon, killing the two men who were onboard, authorities stated.

New Mexico state police and officers with the Socorro Police Department stated the plane crashed around 1:15 p.m. (MDT) near the south Socorro exit along Interstate 25 in south central New Mexico after which the plane became engulfed in flames.

Authorities have not yet released the names of the men who were killed but they did confirm the bodies were badly burned.

Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration say the plane was en route to Mesa, Ariz. from Dallas.

Investigators with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were on their way to Socorro to survey the wreckage Monday.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Attorney John Christian Barlow of St. George, representing homeowners who have lost their homes to ReconTrust of Simi Valley, Calif. may have finally achieved a modicum of victory against the Bank of America-affiliated company’s supposed fraudulent foreclosure methods.

Last Thursday, federal judge Clark Waddoups returned to Utah Fifth District Court in St. George in a case wherein ReconTrust was named as a third party amid the complaint claiming immunity under the National Bank Act in an unlawful detainer action.

Barlow stated Utah law permits homeowners who have lost their homes in a fraudulent, non-judicial foreclosure to have a 7-year window wherein a file can be claimed for the alleged fraudulent act.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Orrin Hatch is speaking out against the Obama administration’s efforts to designate more national monuments without local cooperation. In a radio teleconference last week, Hatch said Utah has enough national monuments. He said the current administration is attempting to designate 14 additional national monuments, with two of them in Utah. Hatch said he’ll work against the establishment of any additional monuments in the state, unless local leaders are included in the discussions. Also, Hatch commented that if the country gains a new Republican president in 2012, he’ll most likely be the Chairman of the Finance Committee. Hatch said he’s working hard to win re-election in order to be the Chairman of the Committee with the hopes of solving the nation’s financial ills.

North Sanpete competed in the Bloomington Country Club High School Duel in the Desert Tennis Tournament over the weekend.

The Hawks lost three and won two. After Pool play on Friday the Hawks were placed as part of the last four teams in the D group. The Hawks came out on top of that group taking 13th place out of 16.

Losses were to some extremely big schools: Orem 5-0, East 5-0, and Ogden 4-1 North Sanpete’s Shayla Ricks was the bright spot on Friday by beating Ogden’s 3rd singles 8-3

Wins on Saturday were against Hurricane 4-1 and Bear River 3-2

Winners for the Hawks vs Hurricane were: 1st singles Ana Bentley got an impressive win 6-4, 6-1 Stepping in for an ill Mikaela Angerhofer, 2nd singles Shelby Ivory got a big comeback win 3-6, 6-4, 10-8 3rd singles Shayla Ricks won again 6-3, 6-7 (4), 10-2 1st doubles Lindee Christensen and Abby Christensen dominated in their win 6-3, 6-1

Winners for the Hawks vs Bear River were all in thrilling third set match tiebreakers: 3rd singles Shayla Ricks yet again victorious 6-1, 4-6, 10-8 1st doubles Lindee Christensen and Abby Christensen 6-2, 2-6, 10-8 2nd doubles Lynsie Clark and Kaytie Nielson 2-6, 6-3, 12-10

Hawks overall record is 10 wins 8 losses, and region record remains at 5 wins 2 losses.

On Tuesday the Hawks host Delta in their final match of the season. Start time of 3:30pm at North Sanpete High.

Junior Varsity Results at the Summit Athletic Club JV Tournament Brooke Anderson tied for 7th and 8th out of 21 singles players. Angela Lewis placed approximately 11th place out of 21.

Thanks for all your support for the tennis program at NSanpete and for each of these girls.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners have announced the apparent low bidder for the construction of the EMS-Maintenance Building in Monroe. At a special commission meeting today, Commissioners have tentatively awarded the low bid to Chad Broderick Construction Co. of Orem. Economic Development Director Malcolm Nash said awarding the bid is contingent on the company securing a bond for the project and other factors. He said the official bid will be awarded on Sept. 26. Commissioners received and opened all bids for the project last Thursday.

(CEDAR CITY) – Dixie National Forest officials will allow the National Wild Turkey Federation to cut timber commercially and use the proceeds to help improve forest lands. Forest Spokesman Kenton Call said the agreement will create the largest stewardship program in the country undertaken by the forest and the turkey federation. Call said the turkey foundation, based in South Carolina, will be able to haul out timber on nearly 2,000 acres in an area known as the Pockets, in Garfield County. In return, the wildlife group will conduct service projects in the forest, including thinning the forest and improving aspen stands. Officials said the timber is valued at $83,000. The forest service will kick in $190,000 for the project and the turkey federation will contribute $90,000 to the deal.

(WINDOW ROCK, Ariz.)-KRQE-TV, Channel 13 in Albuquerque, N.M. reports The Navajo Nation Supreme Court has reversed a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit alleging sex abuse by clergy on the reservation.

An unnamed Navajo man sued the Reverend Chuck Cichanowicz and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup, N.M. in 2007, claiming the priest gave him alcohol and sexually abused him as a teenager in the mid-1980s.

The case now reverts to the Shiprock N.M. tribal court of the Navajo Nation.

Two other lawsuits against Cichanowicz were filed in Navajo courts when he had worked at parishes in Shiprock and St. Michaels, Ariz.

(MT. TRUMBULL, Ariz.)-The Arizona Strip District of the Bureau of Land Management, the Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument, the National Park Service and the Dixie/Arizona Strip Interpretive Association conducted a “Back To School Days” celebration at the Mount Trumbull Schoolhouse on Arizona Strip land last Saturday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of pioneer life in the region.

Former Trumbull teacher Sara “Sally” Bundy rang the schoolhouse bell and filled her role as one of the last schoolteachers in the building.

The schoolhouse served Mt. Trumbull, Ariz., located about 60 miles southeast of St. George for 44 years.

Settlers originally arrived in the area in 1917 and the schoolhouse was built in 1918 and served as a school, dance hall, church and town meeting site.

Arsonists burned the historic schoolhouse in July 1990 while a restoration committee rebuilt it while it was dedicated October 13, 2001 and serves as a symbol of the region’s pioneer heritage.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Orrin Hatch, along with his Senatorial colleagues, are proposing legislation to immediately create jobs to boost the economy in the next few months. During a radio teleconference last week, Hatch said Pres. Obama has delayed the signing of trade agreements that could boost jobs immediately. Hatch said trade agreements would produce 250,000 jobs now, providing a $14 billion shot in the arm to the economy. He said the government could remove over-regulation of independent businesses across the country, helping small business owners expand and invest. In addition, Hatch commented that repealing Obamacare will save the country over $700 billion.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City officials have received bids on materials to finish the granite portions of the Veteran’s Memorial at the cemetery. During last week’s city council meeting, members discussed a bid of about $128,000 from Rick’s Richfield Monuments and another bid from Memorial Art Monuments in Utah County of around $121,000. The bid includes four redesigned monoliths, two donor monoliths, cap material for the retaining wall and paving material for the area around the monument and the north and south areas around the monument. The bid also includes the etching of the initial 1200 names in the monoliths. City leaders discussed nearly $195,000 still needed from recreation tax to finish the memorial. No action was taken at the meeting on the bids and city leaders decided to continue discussions on the details of the project. Also at the meeting, the city council scheduled a public hearing at the first meeting in October to gain comment on RV parking in residential areas of the city.

(LYNDYLL) – Union Pacific Railroad crews worked through the weekend to clean up a 30-car derailment east of Lyndyll. UP Spokesman Aaron Hunt said the accident occurred at about 8:15 Saturday morning east of Lyndyll on the tracks south of SR-132 and crews worked throughout the night Saturday to re-rail or clear all the cars. He said the train had just picked up a load of nonhazardous iron ore and was heading to Stockton, CA. when the train derailed. Hunt said no one was injured and the cause of the derailment is under investigation.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)-Ty Yardley, Jesse McMullin, Baily Bradshaw, Jeremy Brown and Michael Roberts each ran for touchdowns as the Beaver Beavers walloped the South Sevier Rams, 35-0 Friday in 2A South football action.

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)-Courtney Acosta and McKinley Brinkerhoff each amassed hat trick and the Spanish Fork Lady Dons gashed the North Sanpete Lady Hawks, 8-0 in Region 12 soccer action Friday.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)-Randy Ellett and Ty Rees homered and the Wayne Badgers smacked the Valley Buffaloes, 15-3 Friday in Region 20 baseball action. Rees also doubled in the rout for Wayne, while Taylor Albrecht and Zack Taylor also came through with doubles in the win for the Badgers.

COALVILLE, Utah (AP)-Christian Boorman, Zane Stevens and Austin Jackson each ran for touchdowns and the Manti Templars waxed the North Summit Braves, 21-6 Friday in 2A North football action.

KAMAS, Utah (AP)-Riley Rockhill ran for a pair of touchdowns and the South Summit Wildcats pounded the North Sevier Wolves, 34-7 in 2A North football action Friday. Lance Hampton hauled in a 10-yard scoring pass from Joey Edwards in the loss for the Wolves.

DELTA, Utah (AP)-Christian Hatch and Kaydon Hughes ran for touchdowns and Ezra Seui hauled in a 9-yard scoring pass as the Delta Rabbits bested the Taylorsville Warriors, 21-14 Friday in non-region football action.

(GLENWOOD) – A prescribed burn on the east side of the Glenwood Fish Hatchery this morning has been completed. Sevier County Fire Warden Matt Christensen said the planned burn began at 10am and covered about 162 acres and ended at about 2pm just in time for a dousing of rain in the burn area. Christensen said the four-hour fire was a range burn for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

(RICHFIELD) – A new bike path extension at the south end of the Snow College Richfield Campus is being discussed by Richfield City leaders. Councilmembers considered approving funding for the bike path at their bi-monthly meeting in a joint project with the Utah Department of Transportation. Engineers say the total cost of the project would be $700,000, with the city’s share at $200,000. City Manager Mike Langston said funding would be taken from the Parks and Recreation account and the Recreation budget over a two year period. He said the project should be completed by 2013. The city council will continue discussions with UDOT officials and engineers.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Most members of Congress and American citizens are not supporting Pres. Obama’s new jobs bill. Sen. Orrin Hatch said in a radio teleconference this week that Obama’s current jobs plan is being attacked, even in liberal main stream media districts. Hatch said Obama’s plan is still nothing more than a tax hike. He concluded his comments by saying that Obama’s plan to tax the “so-called wealthy” is foolish because 800,000 jobs nationwide would be lost through increased taxes on small business owners.

(WILLISTON, N.D.)-A North Dakota man and a Wisconsin man were killed while two other North Dakotans were injured in an oil well explosion Thursday evening near Williston, N.D.

McKenzie County (N.D.) Sheriff Ron Rankin said 21-year-old Bredan Wegner of Montello, Wis. died at the scene of the explosion and fire while Ray Hardy of Mohall, N.D. died early Friday at the Bloomington, Minn.-based Regions Hospital.

Two other men, Doug Hysjulien of Williston and Michael Tuinn of Tioga, N.D., were burned in the incident and are in critical condition at Regions Hospital’s Burn Center.

The explosion occurred just before 6:00 p.m. CDT Thursday, just south of the Missouri River in the northwestern portion of North Dakota near the Montana border.

Rankin stated the workover rig where the incident occurred is owned by Carlson Well Services of Powers Lake, N.D. and the cause of the explosion and fire is still under investigation.

Another oil rig incident occurred in Williston Thursday and was north of town but did not see any injuries.

(NOBLESVILLE, Ind.)-Thursday, a small plane crashed into a suburban Indianapolis golf course despite flying normally on a clear day.

However, witnesses say it suddenly spiraled into the ground, killing two Purdue University students onboard.

The single-engine plane crashed into the Harbour Trees Golf Club, which runs through a neighborhood along Morse Reservoir at Noblesville, Ind. early Thursday evening.

The plane then smashed into a halt in a sand trap next to a putting green, leaving scorch marks on the nearby fairway.

Federal aviation investigators were returning to the golf course Friday in hopes of determining the cause of the crash, stated Noblesville police Lieutenant Bruce Barnes.

The crash killed 21-year-old pilot Joshua Deboer of Chicago Heights, Ill. and his passenger, 21-year-old passenger Joseph Neuzerling of Noblesville, police stated.

Both were mechanical engineers at West Lafayette, Ind.-based Purdue, stated school spokeswoman Jeanne Norberg while the privately-owned plane took off from the university airport near West Lafayette about a half hour before the crash occurred, she said.

Nearby resident Eric Smith informed the Indianapolis Star he was the first person to reach the plane after circling above the golf course near his home after which it “corkscrewed” into the ground.

Smith said he pulled away a wing lying on top of one of the occupants, but that the man had no pulse and only when emergency personnel arrived did he realize a second man was in the plane.

This report was furnished by WRTV-Channel 6 in Indianapolis.

(MINNEAPOLIS)-After an extensive 13-year process, the brightly colored and massive St. John’s Bible is complete, while pages from the finished work are about to go on display.

The Benedictine monks at St. John’s University and St. John’s Abbey of Collegeville, Minn., commissioned the Bible in 1998 to celebrate the beginning of a new millennium.

The first words were written on Ash Wednesday 2000 while the seventh and final volume, “Letters and Revelation,” was completed earlier this year with the final word, “Amen,” written on May 9, 2011.

At an interview at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, where the Bible will go on display, Abbot John Klassen said the project has exceeded the expectations of anyone involved in the process.

Klassen, who leads an abbey of about 145 monks located 70 miles northwest of Minneapolis, estimates the project cost around $8 million and the Bible would be paid for via donations through the years while the abbey also expects to make money on full-size “Heritage Edition” facsimiles that cost about $140,000 for a complete set.

Scribes working in Wales under the supervision of chief calligrapher Donald Jackson used quills cut from goose or swan feathers and words were written upon large sheets of prepared vellum, or calfskin, while paints were hand-ground from precious minerals or stones s gold, silver or malachite.

Next, gold or silver gild was then used to illuminate or bring pages to light while when open, the facing pages measure about 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall and the Bible runs nearly 1,150 pages in seven separate volumes.

The St. John’s Bible is believed to be the only handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine monastery in the more than 500 years since the invention of the printing press.

Biblical scholar Ben Witherington, a professor and author who teaches at the Wilmore, Ky.-based Asbury Theological Seminary, says he never encountered anything similar to the St. John’s Bible but he says writing a Bible by hand, a tradition dating to medieval times, is “enormously difficult.”

This exhibit will be on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts through November 13 while an exhibition of 44 original pages from the St. John’s Bible “Wisdom Books” and “Prophets” will be on display at the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, N.M. from October 21 to April 7, 2012.

(TACOMA, Wash.)-Friday, students in Washington state’s third-largest school district received an unprecedented fourth straight day off as opposing sides in a teacher’s strike met with a judge when instructors defied his orders to return to the classroom.

Tuesday, educators in the Tacoma (Wash.) School District walked out over several issues, including pay, class size and how job transfers are handled.

Wednesday, a judge appointed by the state of Washington ordered them to return to class, but teachers refused.

Thursday, nearly 93 percent of the 1,600 striking instructors gathered at the Tacoma Dome arena and voted overwhelmingly to ensue in their picketing.

Numerous students have also joined the picket line while hundreds of others rallied around the Tacoma Dome before and during Thursday’s vote.

Tacoma Education Association President Andy Coons stated Thursday’s vote signified the teachers’ unity in this labor struggle.

The Tacoma dispute is a microcosm of what is going on throughout the country concerning how school districts are contending with federally-mandated school reform.

The U.S. Department of Education wants every state and school district to update the way teachers are evaluated as well while a weak economy which has most states struggling to find sufficient money to pay instructors also plays a role in the process.

At Tacoma, the school district announced within an hour of the union vote that school was cancelled for a fourth consecutive day Friday and while 28,000 students stayed home Thursday, a Washington state mediator met with both sides in hopes of returning to the negotiating table.

It was expected Friday that either side would meet with Pierce County (Wash.) Superior Court Judge Bryan Chuschoff who has scheduled a hearing for 1:30 p.m. (PDT) to determine whether the union and district are complying with his order for teachers to return to work while ensuring negotiations resume.

The 1,900 instructors in question have been working without a contract since September 1 while after weekend contract negotiations failed to result in an agreement, 87 percent of union membership voted to walk out.

Christy Wray, a longtime kindergarten teacher in the district who has been part of two previous strikes, says this one is different as in this latest stalemate, the teachers are being treated like “naughty children.”

A 2006 state attorney general’s opinion said state and local public employees, including teachers, have no legally protected right to strike but the opinion also noted state law is bereft of specific penalties for striking public employees.

In court, the district has argued 19 different judges throughout The Evergreen State have deemed teacher strikes to be illegal since 1976.

The union also argued the court should not thrust itself into the bargaining process, while also suggesting an injunction only applies to union leaders.

A hearing on an injunction to permanently stop the strike is slated for September 27.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Salt Lake City prosecutors are hoping to talk about why they have attempted to try and get a 14-year-old boy tried as an adult for rape.

The 14-year-old has been accused of raping two women at knifepoint while Deputy district attorney Patricia Cassell stated they often attempt or charge to attempt to charge 16 to 17-year-olds as adults but such tactics are rare for 14-year-olds.

Cassell said it is the opinion of the court that he be imprisoned beyond the age of 21 as these are charges where he could face up to life in prison in the adult system.

At a hearing slated for October, the judge will look at all factors in the case, including the assailant’s mental and social background.

(NORTHERN UTAH)-Two Wasatch Front cities registered the best jobs numbers in the nation during the second quarter of 2011.

Provo and Ogden both added jobs more swiftly than any other major metro areas in the country, according to a report in the September edition of Mountain Monitor produced by the Brookings Institution Mountain West at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

Both of these northern Utah cities posted significant quarterly job gains of 1.8 and 1.9 percent respectively while in contrast, Colorado Springs, Colo. lost nearly 1 percent of its jobs as unemployment levels in Colorado’s second-largest city fell to new lows.

The report also indicated the nation’s overall job gains during the second quarter measured 0.3 percent.

Salt Lake City was among three Mountain West areas that recorded employment growth of 0.2 percent, along with Phoenix and Boise, Idaho.

In other areas of the region, employment climbed 0.5 percent in Tucson, Ariz. and 0.4 percent in Las Vegas representing a second consecutive quarter of economic growth.

In Albuquerque, N.M., job growth increased by 0.1 percent while in Denver, employment experienced a slight decline.

Kenan Fikri, the senior research assistant and co-author of the report attributed Ogden’s job growth to expansion in manufacturing spheres as well as leisure and hospitality industries.

In Salt Lake City, gradual increases in employment across the board have accumulated to produce a respectable jobs recovery although employment has still remained at 4.4 percent below the peak, Fikri said.

The report painted the overall job prospects in Colorado Springs, Ogden and Salt Lake City as “comparatively bright” with the Utah and Colorado metro areas standing the closest to recouping jobs lost during the recession.

The three Utah cities mentioned all registered fewer jobs than at their peak employment periods before the recession, while Ogden was down 3.2 percent and Salt Lake City’s 4.4 percent was also below peak while Provo experienced a 4.9 percent decrease.

(DELTA)-Although no actual human remains had been found near Topaz Mountain through Thursday, West Valley City Police believe an apparent shallow grave in the area 35 miles northwest of Delta has a 50-50 chance of containing the body of missing mother Susan Powell.

Investigators concluded their digging around 5:30 p.m. MDT Thursday and planned to resume the process Friday morning while detectives had dug about 1.5-2 feet deep into the disturbed gravesite, which was about 2 feet wide and 3 feet long, according to West Valley City Police Lieutenant Bill Merritt.

An anthropologist with the Bureau of Land Management’s Fillmore office says whatever is in the dirt appears to be “fairly recent,” meaning it is uncertain how long this body has been in the Juab County desert.

The area where cadaver dogs had hit on was a pile of dirt that had obviously been disturbed while West Valley City Police Chief Buzz Nielson described it as a “shallow grave.”

Merritt believes that a 50-50 chance exists that the corpse is Susan Powell’s.

Merritt said the trained cadaver dogs dig up dirt and smell it but instead of being interested in the dirt are more focused upon what is underneath, which could mean anything from the existence of a few bones to actual flesh, he stated.

The cadaver dogs being employed have the ability to sense decomposition up to 12 feet down in the earth while Merritt stated the human remains would not have been easily spotted by a person hiking through the area and the dogs are the only reason anything was discovered.

BLM anthropologist Joelle McCarthy also informed police there appeared to be a “disturbance” around the supposed gravesite that was caused by humans, rather than animals.

It was expected the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office would be called to the scene Friday.

Merritt said the location had been on his force’s list of sites to investigate for Powell’s discovery as previously, they have tried such locales as Ely, Nev. and Puyallup, Wash.

(WASHINGTON)-Thursday, the financially-troubled U.S. Postal Service stated it may close more than 250 processing facilities throughout the country and also plans to reduce service standards for first-class mail in an effort to cut costs.

The steps are part of a broad effort to cut costs for the agency that lost $8.5 billion last year and is facing even more red ink as the Internet siphons off the lucrative first-class mail and the languishing economy suppresses the growth of advertising mail.

Over the last five years, mail volume has declined by more than 43 billion items.

Postal officials stated 252 mail processing facilities across the country will be reviewed over the course of the next three months for possible closure.

Presently, there are 487 such offices while closing the mail-processing facilities could affect 35,000 workers.

Additionally, the agency said it plans to reduce current delivery standards for the first-class mail.

Such mail is now supposed to be delivered one-to-three days depending on how far it has to go while this will be changed from two-to-three days, meaning mailers could no longer expect next-day delivery in their local community.

Officials stated this could have some impact on commercial mailers, but individual customers are not likely to notice any changes while they also promised to work with businesses to help solve any problems the change might cause.

The changes could save the USPS as much as $3 billion annually and are part of an initiative to reduce annual costs by $6.5 billion.

Other savings are being sought via requests allowing Congress to eliminate mail delivery on Saturdays and change or eliminate an annual $5.5 billion payment the post office is required to make into a fund to cover future retiree medical benefits.

Last year, the Postal Service netted $67 billion in revenue but incurred $75 billion in costs.

(SANTA FE, N.M.)-The Santa Fe New Mexican reports a lawsuit filed by a group of northwestern New Mexican farmers claims the state engineer’s office withheld information concerning a water rights settlement between the state and the Navajo Nation.

The New Mexican stated the San Juan Agricultural Water Users Association was seeking e-mails and other data regarding the Navajo water rights agreement and a pipeline project.

The lawsuit stated some documents appeared to be missing or were withheld.

The group’s attorney, Victor Marshall, says the point of the matter is the documents have not appeared even though they have been turned over and he denied withholding any information.

Marshall says the state is asking for the court to sanction him for his outlandish and unethical behavior while in court.

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports the Bureau of Land Management Colorado River District has lifted fire restrictions on lands in Mohave, La Paz and Yuma counties in Arizona as well as Imperial, San Bernardino and Riverside counties in California.

BLM officials told the Today’s News Herald of Lake Havasu City, Ariz. fire restrictions are no longer necessary because recent weather conditions and sufficient fire resources have both gained control of the blazes.

BLM is continuing to advise people to be extremely careful while using fire and to follow precautions such as clearing a 10-foot circle around a campfire and putting any fire out before completely leaving a campsite or outdoor location where fire is being used.

(ST. GEORGE)-Acclaimed film director Andrew V. McLaglen is the subject of new book by Dixie State College associate professor of English Stephen B. Armstrong.

The book, “Andrew V McLaglen: The Life and Hollywood Career,” is the first of its kind, providing readers with a comprehensive survey of McLaglen’s experiences in the movies, television and the theater.

Born on July 28, 1920, McLaglen emigrated to the U.S. as a young boy after his father, British actor Victor McLaglen relocated from London to Hollywood while from an early age, Andrew expressed an interest in directing motion pictures.

Andrew McLaglen worked extensively in both television and films, producing television shows such as Gunsmoke, Perry Mason and The Wonderful World of Disney and worked on films such as McLintock and Shenandoah, while working with the likes of Doris Day, Richard Burton and Roger Moore, among others.

Copies of the book may be purchased directly from the book’s publisher, McFarland & Co. of Jefferson, N.C., as well as online through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-National parks and monuments throughout Utah will celebrate the 18th annual National Public Lands Day by waiving entrance fees.

Visitors to Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion National Parks will not have to pay the usual admission to enter these parks September 24.

Additionally, this extends to national monuments in the area such as Cedar Breaks, Glen Canyon and the Dinosaur National Monument.

Recreation “user fees” such as backcountry permit fees, camping fees and fees for other activities in the park will remain intact.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-In only the latest confirmation of Utah students performing well, they outperformed their peers nationally on Advanced Placement course exams.

A total of 18,508 Utah students took 29,851 advanced placement exams during the last school year, an increase of 7.5 percent from the previous year, while Utah high schoolers passed roughly 68 percent of those tests, a passage rate nearly 1 percent higher than the previous school year.

Utah students outperformed those across the nation, who passed 58 percent of the exams, according to the College Board, which released this data Wednesday.

Students often take AP tests after taking AP classes and are enabled to earn college credit by scoring a 3, 4 or 5 on these exams.

The number of test takers also increased among every ethnic group in the state, including by 5.6 percent among Mexican-Americans and by 19.2 percent among Latinos, who are not of Mexican or Puerto Rican descent.

White students were among those who were most successful in passing such exams as nearly 70 percent of Anglos passed the tests while Mexican and Latino students were both generally around 50 percent.

Another measure of student performance released Wednesday showed more Utah high school graduates are taking the SAT test but they are scoring slightly lower than last year in reading and writing.

Of this year’s high school graduates, 2,124 took the SAT, which students typically only take should they be considering attending college out-of-state.

Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of Utah students take a different college entrance exam, the ACT, which is accepted at many colleges throughout the country.

The number of Utah students taking the SAT increased by 191 between the classes of 2010 and 2011 while scores largely remained the same or decreased.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-To celebrate National Public Lands Day, volunteers are being sought to help repair and improve the Mormon Pioneer Trail Saturday September 24 in a project that will support the Wasatch Water Legacy Partnership.

Volunteers 16 years and older are needed to tread repair and brush out vegetation that has grown along the trail, a popular destination for bicyclists, joggers and hikers.

Visitors will be able to hike along part of the original course immigrants took 180 years ago when they entered the Great Basin and the Salt Lake Valley.

The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and Salt Lake City manage lands that include the Mormon Pioneer Trail.

The trail is located east of Salt Lake City and passes over Big Mountain Pass, follows Mountain Dell Creek and then ascends near Little Mountain Pass before dropping into Emigration Canyon and the Salt Lake Valley.

For more information on the celebration, please visit http://www.publiclandsday.org/.

(PLEASANT GROVE)-Thursday morning, Pleasant Grove police discovered a deceased male in front of the city’s library, while death was most likely caused by a medical condition, authorities stated.

City parks workers found the body of a 38-year-old man in front of the library, located at 30 E. Center, Pleasant Grove Police Lieutenant Mike Roberts said.

The city workers then called police who were able to determine the cause of death was not suspicious.

Police identified the man, who lived near the library and talked with his family, who indicated he had suffered from a medical condition.

While it is uncertain how long the body was there, Roberts stated it was dry, indicating that the man’s death occurred after the sprinklers were turned on after midnight.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Ever since its beginnings in upstate New York in 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has made missionary work a key component of its methodology, while most of the missionaries are young men and women usually aged between 19 and 25.

However, senior missionaries, older couples, often fill missions as well in such places as Cove Fort in south central Utah and the Brigham Young summer home in St. George.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of the Church’s Quorum of Twelve Apostles has said a few adjustments have been made in missionary policy as the Brethren and First Presidency want to make it easier for more of the older Church members to serve.

The policy adjustments to which Elder Holland referred to were made in May 2011 and took effect in September while they include latitude in time of service (which for seniors ranges from 6 months-23 months) and a cap of $1,400 US per month for housing expenditures.

Elder Holland also said senior missionaries who are called to serve internationally are asked to do so for 18 months and that since senior missionary couples are such a vital strength to the work, mission presidents should adroitly decide where senior couples are called to serve in their respective missions.

Elder Holland further lionized senior missionaries by saying they are called to serve in a wide array of situations, including labors in temples’ visitors centers, in mission offices and medical assignments, among others.

In closing, Elder Holland exhorted all older couples in the Church who are able and would like to serve missions are welcome to do so and stressed that the Church will use as many as are willing.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The U.S. Justice Department has granted the Ute tribe $1 million as part of a nationwide program to improve law enforcement upon Native American reservations.

Justice officials stated the money will be used by the Ute tribe for the construction of a multi-purpose justice center.

The Navajo Nation, whose reservation encompasses land in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, was given $2.1 million to improve methamphetamine enforcement and a tribal youth program.

Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli says the $118 million in grant money being dispensed nationwide is intended to support the efforts of reducing crime rates on reservations.

Grant money is useful for tribes as it assists them with public safety initiatives, such as community policing and juvenile justice.

The money also funds projects to reduce alcoholism, violence against women and elder abuse.

(DELTA)-Thursday, the state medical examiner may be in Juab County where cadaver dogs discovered human remains during a search for Susan Powell.

Detectives have stated they hope to get a better idea of the gender and age of the remains.

The medical examiner was expected to arrive on the scene near Topaz Mountain around 10:00 a.m. MDT but since the site is on Bureau of Land Management territory and the BLM has confirmed it will allow an anthropologist to determine whether the remains are ancient or recent.

Should the remains be deemed ancient, the medical examiner will attempt to identify the remains delicately and deliberately.

Dr. Todd Grey of the Utah State Office of the Medical Examiner stated a trained eye could confirm whether the remains were human.

Thus far, only cadaver dogs have made this confirmation.

Next in the process would be the extraction while careful digging and dogging and the collection of forensic evidence could be conducted, an activity which would take hours, Grey said.

Once the remains are uncovered, the medical examiner and a forensic anthropologist would attempt to determine the sex, age, stature and race of the corpse after which the examiner would seek to estimate how long the remains have been at this location while also searching for clues as to how death occurred.

West Valley Police officers believe this may be the breakthrough they have sought for in attempting to determine if this is Powell, but Police Lieutenant Bill Merrill is stressing this process be conducted cautiously.

Topaz Mountain, located about 35 miles northwest of Delta, is also less than 30 miles away from Sampson Springs, the area Powell’s husband, Josh Powell, a person of interest in the case, told investigators he went camping that night with his sons.

(WASHINGTON)-Republican party chairman Reince Preibus says he is pleased with how the GOP presidential field is currently comprised and there is still time for another candidate to join the race.

Preibus made his remarks on ABC’s Good Morning America program Thursday morning and has declined to say whether Sarah Palin, who has recently been lampooned for her purported sexual affair with former NBA forward Glen Rice, would be a factor, but he did say the primary would be “rigorous.”

Preibus said he would not take sides to support any GOP candidate over another but made it quite clear he thinks the country is in dire straits and current President Barack Obama is the impetus of such demise.

(DETROIT)-Incriminating statements made by a Nigerian accused of trying to blow up a plane near Detroit can be used against him at trial, a judge stated Thursday.

The decision bolsters the case against Umar Farouk Abdulmattalab, who is charged with attempting to destroy an aircraft flying from Amsterdam to Detroit using a bomb concealed in his underwear Christmas 2009.

The 24-year-old Abdulmattalab was not told he had the Miranda right to remain silent as the FBI interviewed him at Ann Arbor, Mich. where he was treated for serious burns after the incident.

However, U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds said there is a “national security exception” for investigators attempting to swiftly get information from crime suspects.

FBI agent Timothy Walters said Abdulmattab explained how he became a radical follower of al-Qaida in Yemen and how the bomb was supposed to work.

Defense attorney Anthony Chambers stated Abdulmattalab had already disclosed details to officers at the airport and thus deserved to have his Miranda rights explained at the hospital before the second interview with the FBI occurred.

Chambers also objected to investigators interviewing Abdulmattalab after he had been treated with a powerful painkiller, Fentanyl, while his burns were scrubbed.

However, the judge, quoting the testimony of witnesses, said Abdulmattalab showed no signs of “fuzziness” or “confusion.”

Wednesday, Waters testified he did not read Abdulmattalab his Miranda rights as he needed to know if other planes might be under comparable attacks throughout the day.

Abdulmattalab was among nearly 300 people aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 while authorities stated he went to the bathroom before returning to his seat and attempted to detonate a bomb he had concealed under his clothes, just moments before the flight arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

This caused a fire that crew members and passengers swiftly doused while jury selection commences October 4.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Wildlife officials are attempting to crack down on people illegally stocking fish into Utah’s lakes and streams, saying the non-native fish can eventually end up destroying an entire body of water’s ecosystem.

DWR spokesman Mark Hadley says a major issue his organization is facing is the placement of several fish species illegally stocked in non-native waters by humans.

Hadley stated the DWR is placing a limit on catching and killing regulations in certain areas for select species while as a last resort, the state may have to spend thousands, or perhaps millions of dollars, in killing all the fish off to get the fishery started again.

Hadley said poaching does not only consist of shooting an animal out of season but the stigma pertains to those who plant fish in non-native areas as well.

The DWR hopes the legislature puts together legal penalties in place for people who stock fish where they shouldn’t.

Anyone with information on people illegally adding new fish species to Utah’s lakes and streams has been asked to call 1-800-662-3337.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A federal grand jury says two Utah men who purchased horses in a Bureau of Land Management auction were actually going to sell them for slaughter, which is against the law.

BLM investigators pulled over an 18-wheeler in Carbon County, outside of Helper on August 5 while inside the truck they discovered 64 horses the organization stated were eventually en route to Mexico to be slaughtered.

The BLM reports they spent months investigating this case while they figured sufficient evidence existed as they moved forward.

These horses were taken off of a truck owned by DK Ranches of Willard and subsequently moved to the Wild Horse Adoption Center in Herriman while the purchases were made at a BLM auction.

In court papers filed Wednesday, a federal grand jury states Dennis Kunz, the owner of DK Ranches, and another man, Robert Capson of West Jordan, worked in tandem to defraud the BLM.

The government also claims Kunz and Capson violated federal law by lying on the application concerning their intentions on what the horses were being bought for, bringing up accusations of wire fraud.

Wednesday afternoon, Kunz spoke with KSL-TV in Salt Lake City and said the case against him is spurious and he had nothing to do with the horses, stating he only permitted Capson to borrow his land and truck to haul the horses to an auction site at El Paso, Texas.

Kunz stated the BLM is only trying to make him look bad and the entire operation was merely a setup to make the BLM look good for future funding for the Wild Horse program.

Both Kunz and Capson will be summoned into court to face charges in Wednesday’s filing.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Friends and family of a St. George businessman accused of Internet marketing fraud put up a $2.8 million property bond in securing his release from jail.

The 35-year-old Jeremy Johnson will leave the Davis County Jail Thursday morning provided the 15 properties in Utah and California are properly filed in county recorders’ offices while the bond also includes one annuity.

Johnson has been incarcerated since his arrest June 10 at the Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix while a federal grand jury indicted him on one count of mail fraud in connection with his online company iWorks.

The indictment alleges Johnson billed hundreds of thousands of people for products and services they did not sign up for.

Federal prosecutors have also said more charges in the case are likely.

Johnson’s attorney, Nathan Crane, said he is now moving forward with Johnson’s defense in what will be a complex case, as they already have 8 million pages worth of documents to review.

In authorizing Johnson’s release, U.S. District Judge David Nuffer placed several restrictions upon him and he must wear a GPS monitor for at least three months, live in St. George and remain in Utah at all times except to travel to Nevada for proceedings in the Federal Trade Commission case against him.

Johnson, a licensed pilot, must also surrender his pilot’s license and passport.

Earlier, Nuffer was reticent to release Johnson as he considered him a flight risk because of his overseas connections and expertise as a pilot.

(RICHFIELD) – The U.S. Congress has approved an FAA grant for $7.65 million to go towards the expansion of the Richfield Airport project. At the city council meeting Tuesday night, Project Manager Mel Leseberg of Creamer and Noble Engineers of St. George, reported on the approval and awarding the project to the lowest bidders. During discussion, the council awarded the low bid of nearly $4.7 million to Staker Parsons for runway construction and Brown Brothers Construction of Loa, with the low bid of $1.8 million, for additional construction. Leseberg said with the approval, workers can begin construction by Oct. 1.

(DELTA) – Police searching for Susan Powell have discovered human remains but don’t know if they belong to the woman who disappeared almost two years ago. West Valley City Police Lt. Bill Merritt reported that cadaver dogs indicated on the remains in a search today, covering about 12 square miles in the Topaz Mountain area about 35 miles northwest of Delta. Merritt said investigators were waiting for the Juab County Sheriff’s Office to document the site and take possession of the remains. WVC police said that Powell’s husband, Josh, liked to rock hunt in that area and also took his two young sons camping in that area on the night Powell disappeared. Lt. Merritt said that detectives will continue to search the area Thursday.

(RICHFIELD) – An Elsinore woman was taken to the hospital after a collision on Main Street in Richfield today. According to a police report, 27-year old Erin Hare was traveling southbound in a 2003 Dodge Intrepid, when she was hit by a Salt Lake woman at the intersection of 100 North and Main. Richfield police said Hare was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with possible injuries. Her 19-month old son was in a carseat and was not injured. Police said the driver of a 2008 GMC Acadia, 86-year old Bebe Jensen of SLC, had stopped at the stop sign at 100 North and proceeded through the intersection, when she apparently didn’t see Hare and hit her. Jensen was not injured in the accident. Police said both women were wearing their seatbelts and citations are pending.

(LAS CRUCES, N.M.)-KOB-TV, Channel 4 in Albuquerque, N.M. reports a New Mexico State University professor has won a federal grant to help maintain Apache languages on the Mescalero Apache Reservation of south central New Mexico.

The Las Cruces, N.M.-based institution made the announcement Tuesday, saying anthropology professor Scott Rushforth received a $321,000 award from the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop a dictionary, grammar and a multimedia archive.

Fewer than 200 fluent Apache speakers reside on the reservation, which is near Ruidoso, N.M. in the Lincoln National Forest.

Rushforth and the Mescalero Apache Tribe Language Program are presently constructing an electronic dictionary and grammar, while they are also in the process of producing hundreds of hours of audio and video recordings of the Mescalero, Chiricahua, and Lipan Apache languages.

Apache belongs to the Athabaskan language family, which includes Navajo and other related languages spoken by indigenous North American peoples, including some spoken by what Canadians refer to as First Nations in the present-day Yukon Territory and Nunavut.

(TUCSON, Ariz.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports Mitt Romney, a frontrunner for the 2012 presidential race on the GOP ticket, made an appearance at a Tucson, Ariz. car dealership Wednesday morning as he attempts to capture the Republican nomination.

Additionally, he is still scheduled to visit with residents at a senior community and conduct a town hall meeting at Sun Lakes, south of Chandler, Ariz. in the southeastern sector of the greater Phoenix area.

Romney considers Arizona as a crucial state to win over in this campaign as in 2008, he lost the state to longtime Arizona Senator John McCain.

In the interim, Romney has become more assertive and has levied sharp criticism against rival Texas Governor Rick Perry, who he is neck-and-neck with in the GOP realm presently during a Monday presidential debate at Tampa, Fla.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield High School studentbody leaders want the city to move the “R” from the western hills to a water tower. Studentbody President Lauren Resendes says the current location of the “R” is difficult to maintain. She approached the city council at their bi-monthly meeting last night to ask leaders to relocate the emblem for better visibility. Councilmembers were concerned with placing the “R” on a water tank due to safety issues in maintaining the emblem and compromising the aethsetic view of blending the tanks with the countryside. Some councilmembers suggested placing the “R” on the old water tank site where the location would not be an issue. Resendes said she would discuss the alternatives with studentbody leaders.

(DELTA)-The latest desert search for Susan Cox Powell resumed Wednesday morning with plans afoot to scour another swath of land near Topaz Mountain as well as some mines, possibly.

West Valley City Police arrived near Topaz around 9:11 a.m. MDT Wednesday and again employed all-terrain vehicles to navigate the dirt trails and sagebrush in this area of western Juab County.

West Valley City Police Lieutenant Bill Merritt said his offices plan to search abandoned mines in the region but didn’t know what would be accomplished Wednesday.

Police officially commenced their search at Topaz Mountain, about 35 miles northwest of Delta, Monday, as Mid-Utah Radio/Television news director Bruce Mehew reported previously while Merritt has stated detectives plan to search the area at least through Thursday.

(PROVO)-During the weekly devotional at Brigham Young University’s Marriott Center Tuesday, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ Quorum of Twelve Apostles exhorted his audience to ensure they are honest in all things.

Elder Andersen lionized honesty, saying it is crucial to an individual’s spiritual growth as well one’s development of spiritual gifts.

Elder Andersen cited the Savior’s warnings in the scriptures for those who do not live according to the words they spoke while if the spirit of truth is to be more fully received, individuals must live according to the precepts of honesty.

Elder Andersen closed his remarks by saying the true test of honesty often emerges in situations where small temptations arise which can possibly create detrimental consequences should the truth be told, but if integrity is maintained, impressive spiritual power can be gained.

(RENO, Nev.)-Federal wildlife officials have agreed to consider federal protections for more than two dozen species of tiny snails in Utah, Nevada and California which environmentalists believe are threatened by a big water project for Las Vegas.

Tuesday, backers of the 300-mile pipeline said they are not concerned about a federal listing of the aquatic mollusks which would jeopardize the $3.5 billion project.

Opponents also said the move bolsters the legal arsenal in what they expect is another court battle aimed at stopping the transfer of billions of gallons of water annually from aquifers beneath east-central Nevada and western Utah.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it found sufficient scientific evidence to advance with its yearlong status review of 32 species of Great Basin and Mojave Desert springsnails while the agency had been reviewing petitions submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity and others.

Jill Ralston, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deputy supervisor for the state of Nevada emphasized that the finding, to be published Tuesday in the Federal Register did not mean the agency decided federal protection of the snails was warranted.

J.C. Davis, the spokesman for the Las Vegas-based Southern Nevada Water Authority said the authority already has mitigation measures in place that would address any possible listing of the snails.

These springsnails are only found in freshwater springs in Clark, Lincoln, Nye and White Pine counties in Nevada, Utah’s Beaver and Millard counties and Inyo County in California.

Rob Mrowka of the Phoenix-based Center For Biological Diversity said the new move by the wildlife service was significant because it verified legitimate concerns about the snails’ status while a number of other fish and wildlife species dependent upon natural springs.

The water authority had the necessary water rights in hand but lost them a year ago when the Nevada Supreme Court sent the matter back to the state water engineer for a round of hearings later this year.

Meanwhile, through October 11, the Bureau of Land Management will be accepting public comment on a draft environmental impact statement as it considers granting the necessary right-of-way for the pipeline to be built.

The draft statement said the proposal has the potential to affect 305 springs, 112 miles of streams, 8,000 acres of wetlands and 191,506 acres of scrub land wildlife habitat.

Mrowka suggested the pumping could result in a drop in the land surface of more than 5 feet over 525 square miles as well as the generation of 34,742 tons of windblown dust per year created by the death of vegetation.

Davis said all such concerns are speculative assumptions concerning what might happen and that environmentalists esteem them as if they have already occurred.

(CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.)-Utah’s Alliant Techsystems is teaming up with NASA in an agreement touted as helping to marry a system of two rockets in hopes of getting commercial crews into space by as soon as 2015.

Under the first stage of the agreement announced Tuesday, ATK will partner with NASA by tapping the agency for its expertise in launch systems and other engineering technology such as thrust and vibration analysis.

The agreement will further refine the Liberty Launch System, which experienced a successful static test of its five stage DM3 monitor last week at Promontory.

At the time, ATK officials stated the motor exceeded expectations in which 37 objectives were measured through 979 instrumentation channels.

Kent Rominger, the vice president of strategy and business development for Minneapolis-based ATK’s Aerospace Division said the Liberty is the most advanced and proven heavy launch rocket motor which is part of a system that will take astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

It is believed carrying capacity would be seven people, absent of modifications.

Rominger stated this agreement with NASA will enable ATK to utilize the infrastructure at the Kennedy Space Center as analysis progresses into next spring.

It is believed a subsequent agreement will have to be forged between the two partners as they attempt to progress forward with a phased-in approach.

In February, ATK and Astrium of Paris announced plans to develop the Liberty Launch system while Romlinger said the Liberty, which stands 30 stories tall, is capable of carrying any existing commercial space flight or any that may be under development.

The agreement will assist ATK in operating the first and second-stage rockets as one system.

(WICHITA FALLS, Texas)-The Associated Press reports Wichita Falls, Texas has become the first city in Lone Star State history to experience 100 days of triple-digit temperatures in one year, the same day the Metroplex (Dallas-Fort Worth area) joined the state’s long list of cities with a record number of 100 degree days this year.

Dallas-Fort Worth also broke a record, originally set in 1980, with its 70th triple-digit day of the year Tuesday, becoming the 15th market among 19 around Texas to set a record, weather service figures attest.

Several Texas cities have nearly doubled records dating back as far as 1934 while College Station, Texas, in the southeast portion of the state near Houston, edged past a 94-year-old mark this year.

Wichita Falls was also among eight Texas cities which broke their records for consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures, while this list was highlighted by Tyler, Texas, which had 46 consecutive days in which it exceeded the 100-degree barrier.

The record at Dallas-Fort Worth comes one week after Texas officials recorded the hottest period from June-August on record in the U.S., a phenomenon which the National Weather Service’s Victor Murphy says, gives Texas a new standard by which to measure a hot summer.

(RICHFIELD) – A retired UHP trooper accused of robbing motorists while impersonating an officer has been sentenced to jail. Sixth District Court documents stated that 51-year old Christopher Topham was spared prison time for posing as an officer in 2007 and making traffic stops during which he allegedly took money from driver’s wallets and cars. Topham pleaded guilty in July to three counts of obstruction of justice, all third-degree felonies, in connection with a string of motorist robberies. He had originally been charged with eight counts of first-degree felony aggravated robbery and seven other crimes.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Tuesday, a release of the legislative audit of the Utah State Courts shows at least one city in the state is using traffic courts to avoid sharing traffic violation revenues with the state.

The audit, which is provided to the state Legislature, recommended that state politicians consider whether state oversight of traffic schools is necessary to ensure proceeds are shared with the state.

The audit reported that traffic citations are not being issued to generate revenue, as some feared would happen during a recession, it did find traffic schools are unregulated and are being used by South Ogden, to collect fees currently withheld from the state.

Since the court is not involved and there are no additional fees or surcharges levied, South Ogden is able to keep all revenue, which averages out to $100,000 annually.

The auditor proceeded to contact the city’s attorney about this practice, according to the report.

This raised concern from the auditors that similar systems could be implemented in other cities, raising the question of whether the Legislature wanted to review the practice.

In response to the practice, Utah State Courts Administrator Daniel Becker stated court officials are concerned this practice could “undermine public trust and confidence in the courts.”

Becker expressed concern that the offender would then think the threat of court emanated from a judge who would not know a citation had been issued.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A proposed rule seeks to give consumers more control over their medical records, according to federal health officials.

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius proposed a new rule Monday which would allow patients to access personal medical records covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

The changes to HIPAA would mean patients have access to test results and electronic records, while also being able to see who is accessing their records.

Many who offer contracted services, such as medical transcription companies, lab services or clinical support companies and medical researchers, have access to medical records, according to IT attorney Scott Blackmer.

HHS believes the new rule will lead to better health, and in turn, better health care.

(RICHFIELD) – Municipal Primary Elections were held in Richfield Tuesday for seven candidates competing for three four-year council seats. With only 11% of registered voters in Richfield casting their ballot, Richard Barnett gained the most votes with 241, Kathy Christensen with 235 and Matt Creamer with 220. The other three candidates included in the general election are Dan Chidester, Scott Hatch and Wayne White. Richard White was the only candidate ousted in the primary. The general election will be held in November of 2012.

(LOGAN)-The family of a motorcyclist who was pulled from beneath a burning car Monday thanked the bystanders near the Utah State University campus who rescued him from the carnage.

The 21-year-old Brandon Wright was still hospitalized at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray late Tuesday while his family says he is expected to recover from the serious injuries he received as a result of being pinned under the car Monday morning.

Wright was leaving the USU campus when he collided with a BMW and found himself pinned under the car while his uncle, Tyler Riggs, confirmed Wright had a perfect remembrance of everything that happened thereafter, such as spitting blood out of his mouth.

This was also when Wright’s bike burst into flames as the car caught on fire as well, prompting the bystanders to risk their own lives in hopes of saving his.

Monday evening, surgeons also placed a rod in Wright’s leg, moving him into intensive care at IHC. Since then, he has incurred no head trauma or nerve damage, a portent, hospital officials say, is good, after such a bad crash.

Tuesday, his family released a statement confirming they were able to meet with him Monday evening and everything seems to be going well.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A man accused of stalking Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints President Thomas S. Monson pleaded no contest to this charge and was sentenced to probation.

The 36-year-old Benjamin Tucker Staples pleaded no contest to stalking, a Class A misdemeanor, while Third District Judge Randall Skanchy sentenced him to 365 days in jail, 298 of which will be suspended.

Tucker has been accredited for the 67 days he spent in jail while the case was pending.

Staples is to spend one year on probation, during which time he is to stay at least 1,000 feet away from the Church’s Office Building adjacent to Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City.

He must also stay 1,000 feet away from President Monson and his residence, court records attest.

Furthermore, he must undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations.

Staples has been to the Church Office Building on five previous occasions, witnesses say, and at one point, he claimed to security officers on site that President Monson was the “only one who could solve his problems,” while Staples also proclaimed himself to be Christ.

Witnesses stated they are primarily concerned that Staples, who did not wield any weapons or pose any threats, could be “argumentative and delusional.”

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)-The North Sanpete Lady Hawks took another step toward a Region 12 girls tennis title by downing the Carbon Lady Dinos, 3-2 Tuesday.

Winners for the Lady Hawks included Mikaela Angerhofer, who earned 6-1, 6-1 wins in 2nd singles while Shayla Ricks was solid in 3rd singles with 6-0, 6-2 victories.

Additionally, North Sanpete was bolstered by the 1st doubles team of Lindee Christensen and Abby Christensen who won 6-0, 6-4.

The Lady Hawks are now 8-4 overall, but of greater importance, 5-1 in Region 12 play while they face the Spanish Fork Lady Dons on the road Wednesday in another region tilt.

This weekend, the team will compete at the Bloomington Country Club Duel in the Desert in the greater St. George area.

(CEDAR CITY) – A Cedar City man originally charged with attempted murder for shooting at a man during a fight has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges. Fifth District Court records showed that 36-year old Shawn Gates was sentenced to 24 months probation on reduced counts of use of a dangerous weapon in a fight, a class-A misdemeanor and discharging a firearm, a class-B misdemeanor. He was also given credit for serving 180 days in jail. According to police reports, Gates was charged in February with first-degree attempted murder in an incident where he shot twice at a man who had driven to Gates’ home to confront him about threatening text messages Gates had sent him.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Assessor Gail DeMille has announced his retirement and the County Republican Party is tasked with his replacement in the interim. Party Secretary Maridon Rappleye says DeMille’s retirement will create a vacancy in that office and the Sevier County Republican Party is required to find a person to fill the position. She said DeMille will retire on Oct. 15 this year and a qualified person will fill the position until the general election in 2012. Rappleye said in addition to county and state requirements, the person must also become a State Licensed Appraiser within 36 months after taking office. She noted that any interested person should submit a resume, cover letter and letters of recommendation to 126 North 500 East in Richfield or e-mail at mrappleye55@gmail.com. Information must be received by Oct. 6, 2011.

(CHANDLER, Ariz.)-KPNX-TV, Channel 12 in Phoenix reports GOP presidential aspirant Mitt Romney will host a town hall meeting in the Sun Lakes retirement community south of Chandler, Ariz. Wednesday.

There is no mention of the 3:00 p.m. MDT (Arizona time) event at the Oakwood Country Club on Romney’s Web site, where other information about his whereabouts is posted, and campaign spokesman Ryan Williams says this is likely the first town hall meeting conducted by any 2012 presidential candidate.

Williams said Tuesday his office was preparing to notify the media of this visit and that Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, would be hosting another town hall at an undetermined time in Tucson after the Sun Lakes event.

Williams said this meeting was open to the public and the lack of advance notice was not intended to limit participation or prevent contentious debate such as last month’s when U.S. Senator John McCain hosted a town hall meeting in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert, Ariz.

Williams said Romney was accustomed to open town halls where he takes difficult questions from voters.

He also said Romney deems Arizona as an important state and he intends to campaign vigorously Wednesday.

(PAROWAN)-Monday, Iron County School District superintendent Jim Johnson was named as 2011 Utah Superintendent of the Year.

The Utah School Superintendents Association named Johnson as the recipient of the award while he has been an educator for 36 years and has served as a teacher, coach, principal and assistant superintendent.

Under his leadership, Iron County schools became some of the first to use underground energy technology in which underground pipes, located at a depth where it is about room temperature, send cooler air into schools when it is hot outside while warmer air is sent in when it’s cold.

Johnson is also known to host district celebrations annually each fall to recognize student achievement while sending staff and teachers a “strong message of support and encouragement for the upcoming year,” according to a Utah School Superintendents Association news release.

Johnson also now serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at Southern Utah University, as a member of the Governor’s Education Excellence Commission and as president of the Utah School Superintendent’s Association.

(EPHRAIM) – Snow College officials are moving their West Campus facilities in Ephraim closer to the main campus to help the commute for students and benefit the local economy. Communications Director Greg Dart said the move will stimulate the economy by making space available to outside businesses in vacating the two West Campus buildings. Dart said the move will also help students walk to classes instead of commuting to the west side of the city to attend classes. He said an external review showed that enrollment dropped in Snow’s Business and Technology Department when classes were set up two decades ago.

(WASHINGTON)-While visiting Washington Tuesday, Escalante Mayor Jerry Taylor implored Congress to pass legislation that would prohibit the White House from naming any more monuments in Utah, citing the detrimental effects of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument several years ago.

Taylor said the creation of the monument, a surprise announcement at the time in 1996 by then-President Bill Clinton, has locked up rich veins of coal as well as natural gas and oil reserves that could have meant better jobs and better lives for residents of the rural community.

Taylor also disputed a fellow panelist’s assertion that communities with such monuments experience economic growth.

Utah Representative Rob Bishop, a Republican who is chairing this subcommittee, is pushing a measure that will not take away the president’s ability to name any monuments in the state without congressional approval, several fellow House members have legislation to do the same within their own states.

Ray Rasker, the executive director of the nonprofit research group Headwaters Economics of Bozeman, Mont., said that in a study of 17 communities with national monument designations over the last two decades, data showed that the local economies grew.

Moreover, the Interior Department said in a statement submitted to the committees that President Barack Obama opposes the bills being considered as they would take away a crucial tool in protecting treasured lands.

Bishop has previously raised issues about the new monuments since he obtained a portion of an Interior memorandum suggesting some potential sites, while the Interior has stressed this as a preliminary “talking-point” list and any process to create a monument that would be done in consultation with local officials while including community support.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-In a method known as “tuning,” faculty from Utah’s eight institutions of higher learning are seeking to ensure the subjects they teach to students will help them obtain fundamental knowledge for the workplace after graduation.

State higher education officials have also met with industry officials in hopes of effectively gaining a “feel” for what skills students need to have upon their entry into the workforce.

Janice Gygi, the director of the Utah Tuning Project, said educators need to be able to confidently tell future employers of students what these prospective employees can do.

Gygi has said Utah’s colleges and universities have been evaluating courses and degree requirements for a decade now.

The state’s work has caught the attention of the prestigious Lumina Foundation for Education of Indianapolis, one of the nation’s largest foundations that is dedicated to the expansion of access to education after high school.

In 2009, this foundation gave Utah an $150,000 grant, while granting similar grants to Indiana and Wisconsin.

This month, state officials announced the Lumina Foundation had expanded its grant to another $390,000.

Gygi stated tuning’s ultimate goal is to ensure parents, students and policymakers know when a student must know and be able to do for each major and degree level.

For lawmakers, the approach gives them information so they can sufficiently allocate resources based on the understanding of what a given degree means for students, their industry and society in general.

Based on feedback from various industries, Gygi has said many employers say they want students with skills in problem solving, written/spoken communication and critical thinking while the challenge is for each of these skills to be taught in a different way, depending on the discipline.

Thus far, the state has focused on tuning physics and history while the recent grant will help fund study of requirements for degrees in elementary school and general education math teaching.

The state has roughly 37 core areas of study while Gygi said Brigham Young University and Westminster College, despite not being run by the state, are also involved in the tuning program.

Mark Bucchard, the executive board member with the Salt Lake Chamber and the chairman of Prosperity 2020 stated Utah business leaders are specifically interested in the quality of degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

According to the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, the state is interested in the development of core industries, such as aerospace and life science.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Monday, a Utah legislative committee swiftly approved a new state Senate district map without any concessions to concerns raised concerning how it now divides Tooele County.

This unanimous vote came shortly after some members spent more than an hour behind closed doors, delaying the start of the meeting.

Committee-co chairman, Senator Ralph Okerlund of Monroe, said lots of options were discussed and at this point, the committee is ready to progress.

Okerlund stated the problem was that any change made to divide Tooele County among two Senate districts affected the boundaries of other districts.

This failed to satisfy Tooele County GOP Chairman Chris Sloan while he and other lawmakers were exhorted to put all of the county into a single Senate district.

Sloan said he was disappointed with how the county was separated, saying Tooele County residents do not care about the “ripple effect” at this stage.

Okerlund said work would continue on the map of the 29 districts, saying it was a “starting point.”

The Senate’s minority Democrats are still looking to propose some changes, especially since some Salt Lake City residents have been presently moved into a Davis County district.

Also Monday, the committee adopted a preliminary map of the 75 state House districts that includes reducing the number of Salt Lake County seats from 30 to 28 while boosting the number of seats in Utah and other counties.

Sloan said Tooele County apparently fared better in the House while having the possibility of a numerical advantage now in two seats, instead of only one.

He said there are still concerns over having parts of the county, including Wendover, in other districts.

The committee has one more meeting scheduled, on September 22, before the October 3 special session set to approve final boundaries for legislative, congressional and State School board districts.

However, work is expected to continue through September 28.

Every 10 years, lawmakers are charged with adjusting those boundaries to reflect population changes identified in the national census.

The 2010 Census granted Utah a new, fourth seat in Congress while the state’s current three-member congressional delegation has been invited to attend the September 22 meeting while presenting their own proposed maps.

(NEW YORK)-Nationally-syndicated talk radio host Glenn Beck, who you can hear on select Mid-Utah Radio stations, debuted his greatly-anticipated new online show Monday evening on subscription-based GBTV.

An analysis in Forbes magazine has outlined GBTV can propel Beck to earn more than $100 million annually while the outlet projected his earnings for FY2010 at $40 million.

Web site Mediaite has compared GBTV to Oprah Winfrey’s OWN platform and reports that 230,000 paying GTV subscribers already outpace the number of people who watched OWN during June.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Tuesday morning, ABC-4 in Salt Lake City announced The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was poised to make only the latest generous donation to those in need.

Tuesday, the Church reportedly was to donate a large and valuable piece of real estate in downtown Salt Lake City on the corner of 100 South and 400 East.

This large piece of land, where an old, abandoned LDS Church building now stands, will be donated to the American Cancer Society, which has already expressed its gratitude.

Reportedly, this land will be used to construct a Hope Lodge, a facility where cancer patients undergoing treatment receive free housing while other badly needed services are also provided.

It is estimated that the value of this property exceeds $1 million.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A Monday report states the number of cases handled by the Utah Department of Workforce Services Division has nearly tripled since 2007 because of the languishing economy which compels people to seek public assistance, food stamps and health benefits.

At the same time, the department has also retained more than $18 million in administrative costs while also reducing the time it takes to determine whether applicants for various government programs qualify for public assistance.

The agency has literally dissected how eligibility service workers provide services to clients while their work days were configured to “let them do the most important and critical things,” stated executive director Kristen Cox.

Cox uses the analogy of the blue light proceeding from a welder as if one sees it, it confirms the welder is doing well.

Additionally, telephone wait times have been reduced from 23 minutes to nine minutes while it takes 11 days for the agency to determine whether applicants are eligible for food stamps, down from 15 days.

New technology, moving the department off a mainstream computing system as one example, has helped save $4 million while technology also enables applicants to manage their cases and applications online, she said.

Since FY2008, operational costs for the public assistance eligibility division have dropped from approximately $80 million in 2008 to an estimated $60 million in FY2012.

At this same time, the division is expected to reduce its staffing by 250 employees through attrition from 2008 levels.

Staff salaries and benefits are its biggest expense.

(TULSA, Okla.)-The Tulsa World reports a federal agency is cautioning the Cherokee Nation that it would be against the law to revoke the citizenship of descendants of slaves once owned by members of the tribe.

The Tulsa World stated in its Tuesday edition that the Bureau of Indian Affairs has informed the tribe an 1866 treaty stipulates that freedmen were granted rights of Cherokee citizenship.

The agency also says the treaty gave freedmen the right to vote in tribal elections.

Last week, the Cherokee Supreme Court upheld the results of a 2007 special vote to amend the Cherokee constitution and remove the slaves’ descendants and other non-Indians from tribal rolls.

The agency says it has not approved the change to the constitution, as required by law.

(ST. LOUIS)-A US Airways flight bound from New York to Phoenix was diverted to St. Louis Tuesday after three passengers acted suspiciously, according to the Transportation Safety Administration.

A statement from TSA said US Airways flight 457, which left John F. Kennedy Airport in New York landed at Lambert Airport Tuesday shortly before 8:00 a.m. CDT.

TSA spokeswoman Sarah Horowitz did not elaborate upon what prompted the crew to consider the three passengers suspicious.

Lambert spokesman Jeff Lea said the plane landed without incident and TSA did not report whether anyone had been taken into custody.

Valerie Wunder, a spokeswoman for Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways, which also owns the naming rights to the arena the NBA’s Phoenix Suns play in, said the plane was checked and cleared, as were the 128 passengers.

The plane was expected to resume its flight to Phoenix later Tuesday morning.

Wunder would not disclose what prompted these security concerns, deferring to the TSA.

The incident comes amid heightened awareness around the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks.

Sunday, a GoJet Airlines flight from St. Louis to Washington returned to the gate at Lambert before taking off after a crew became concerned when they found paper towels stuffed in a toilet.

Passengers were rescreened, the plane proceeded to take off again and landed at Washington’s Dulles Airport about an hour later than scheduled.

Additionally Sunday, fighter jets were scrambled to escort two commercial flights in New York and Detroit after crews reported suspicious activity.

Bathroom use was also cited in these incidents while an American Airlines flight departing from Los Angeles to JFK saw three passengers make repeated trips to the bathroom.

Additionally, on a Denver-to-Detroit Frontier Airlines flight, the crew reported two people were spending significant time in the bathroom.

The passengers deemed suspicious were cleared in both of these cases.

(GLENWOOD) – Sevier County deputies have recovered shotgun shells on SR-24 that are believed to have been used to shoot a UDOT warning sign sometime over the weekend. UDOT officials called the sheriff’s office Monday after discovering the vandalism. The report said someone had shot the warning sign and the flag that goes on the sign. Damage is estimated at $300.

(MONROE) – Three Monroe kids were taken to the hospital after rolling their ATV on a Monroe street Monday afternoon. Sevier County deputies said the trio, including a 14-year old driver, were riding on a Rhino ATV along 300 South and 300 West in Monroe, when they tipped over in the roadway at about 4:30pm. Deputies said none were wearing helmets or seatbelts. All were transported by ambulance to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield to be treated for scrapes, cuts and bruises. The 14-year old was cited for violations. The other children were ages eight and five.

(WASHINGTON)-Monday, President Barack Obama issued a stiff challenge to the GOP by stating part of his new plan consists of raising taxes to pay for his job bill.

The reception by Republicans was no warmer than it had been previously, setting the stage for a likely new fight in Congress.

The president’s proposals drew criticism from House Speaker John Boehner who had previously responded cautiously, but receptively, to the $447 billion jobs plan which consists of tax cuts and new spending that Obama initially proposed in an address to Congress last Thursday evening.

The biggest piece of this payment plan would raise about $400 billion by eliminating certain deductions, including on charitable contributions, that would be claimed by wealthy taxpayers.

Obama has proposed that previously, and even certain Democrats have joined their Republican rivals in denouncing it.

To bolster his ideology Monday, Obama delivered his address in the Rose Garden and surrounded himself with police officers, firefighters, teachers, construction workers and others he said would be assisted by it.

Obama demanded immediate action on the legislation, which the White House sent to Capitol Hill Monday afternoon.

Later in the day, he told a group of Spanish-speaking reporters that if Congress agreed to just a portion of the bill, he would accept it while still fighting for more of its legislation.

Tuesday, The Associated Press reported Obama was to travel to Boehner’s home state of Ohio to further promote his agenda while he would then travel to North Carolina Wednesday, a traditionally Republican state which he won in 2008.

Obama also made an appearance for a group of African-American news sites Monday while suggesting even a legislative loss for his plan could translate into a political victory.

The jobs package would combine tax cuts for workers and employees by reducing the Social Security payroll tax, with spending elements including more money to hire teachers, rebuild schools and pay unemployment benefits.

There are also tax credits to encourage businesses to hire veterans as well as the long-term unemployed.

The payment method mentioned by the White House Monday would consist of $405 billion from limiting the itemized deductions for charitable contributions and other deductions that can be taken by individuals making more than $200,000 a year and families making over $250,000 and $41 billion from closing loopholes for oil and gas companies.

Additionally, this will consist of $18 billion from requiring fund managers to pay higher taxes on certain income and $3 billion from changing the tax treatment of corporate jets.

White House Budget Director Jacob Lew said that Obama will also include these tax proposals in a broader debt-cutting package he plans to submit next week to a congressional “supercommittee” charged with the task of finding $1.2 trillion in savings later this year.

Lew stated the supercommittee would have the option of accepting the payment mechanisms for the jobs bill proposed by Obama, or even proposing new ones.

Republicans have indicated they are receptive to supporting Obama’s proposed payroll tax cut, while finding a way to extend unemployment benefits, although many have rejected his new spending ideals.

Obama has a series of ads promoting his cause that will air in Denver, Tampa, Fla., Orlando, Fla., Des Moines, Iowa, Las Vegas, Manchester, N.H., Raleigh, N.C., Charlotte, N.C., Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, Norfolk, Va., Richmond, Va. and Roanoke, Va. as well as Washington.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Samoan Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi is in Utah this week and has been invited by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ First Presidency.

President Uchtdorf became friends with Tufuga Efi, as he is commonly known, when he visited Samoa during the tsunami two years ago.

Tufuga Efi will be touring the Church’s history museum, while his own family history has connections to Utah and said last Sunday, he has strong family connections, “just like the Mormons do.”

Tufuga Efi also mentioned he was moved by his tour of Welfare Square following the 10th anniversary of 9-11 terrorist attacks and Tuesday, he said he would meet with the Samoan community during a fiafia celebration at Utah Valley University in Orem.

Also throughout the week, it is expected he will speak at Brigham Young University and the University of Utah.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners signed a cooperative agreement today with State Parks and Recreation to construct restroom facilities at the Candy Mountain Express Trail in Marysvale Canyon. The agreement involved the state funding $30,000 for construction of the restrooms at the resort. The county is also helping with funding for the trailhead parking lot and upgrades as part of the project, which will be completed in the future.

(SALINA) – A Clearfield couple sustained injuries after a rollover on the Gooseberry Road up Salina Canyon Friday morning. According to a sheriff’s report, 25-year old Christopher Flood and his wife, Lacey, were coming down the canyon, when he passed out in his truck. The report said Lacey attempted to steer the truck around a turn but lost control and went down a ten-foot embankment and rolled near Mt. Terrell. Both occupants were not wearing their seatbelts and a witness to the accident drove the pair to I-70, where they were transported by ambulance to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with unknown injuries.

(RICHFIELD) – A Teasdale man and his passenger escaped serious injury after hitting a cow in the road south of the Richfield Auction late Saturday night. A sheriff’s report said that 18-year old Troy Stephenson hit a black cow that was crossing the highway at about 10:20pm. Deputies had received a report of a missing cow in that area and were on the lookout for the animal when the cow was hit south of the junction of SR-118 and SR-256. Sevier County Sheriff Nate Curtis said the cow apparently was not injured and was returned to a corral but Stephenson’s 1997 Pontiac Firebird sustained front hood, roof and windshield damage and had to be towed by a local towing company.

(PAGE, Ariz.)-Last week, a divided Page (Ariz.) City Council approved the restructuring of a $13.5 million in bond debt.

At the Thursday evening meeting, the move, a 5-2 vote in the affirmative, enables the city to receive a lower wage interest rate on bond indebtedness and avoid having to pay the first call on the Series 1999A bonds next July.

The city would have otherwise faced shuffling its current 2011-12 fiscal year budget to make this $1.3 million payment.

Subsequent calls would have been for $1.8 million annually.

In January 1999, council passed a resolution to ask for up to $12.2 million in Series 1999A bonds to meet a variety of needs, while also approved were $4.3 million in Series B bonds.

Councilmembers Tom Puckett and David Tennis voted against the measure while a city is currently paying 6 percent interest on the 12-year-old-bonds but historically low bond rates could permit the city to qualify for a rate as low as 4 percent with the new 2011 series, stated city manager Bo Thomas.

In January 1999, the city council sought Series 1999A bond money to assure funding for the eventual Page Public Safety Facility, repay a $3 loan to Page Electric Utility and close the city landfill for $2.8 million.

Also included in the plan was $3.4 million to finish the city’s wastewater treatment facility, $1.5 million to retire a loan to build the city library and $1.3 million for future projects.

Council also approved the Page/Lake Powell Chamber of Commerce as the non-profit organization to receive 25 percent of the alcohol sales at the Powellpalooza music festival in two weeks.

(ST. GEORGE)-A pharmaceutical company has announced a reward for information concerning a medicine robber southern Utah officials say is “bold and potentially dangerous.”

Stamford, Conn.-based Purdue Pharma is offering up $5,000 for tips in the crimes as part of its RxPatrol initiative to curb pharmacy theft.

St. George Police say they are looking for a man they believe is responsible for drug heists at pharmacies in the city both in August and thus far in September.

The most recent incident occurred after 6:00 p.m. MDT August 18 at the Smith’s Pharmacy on Bluff and St. George Blvd. in St. George while the suspect came through the front door, brandished a handgun and passed a note demanding drugs.

He fled with an undisclosed amount of prescription medicine.

Authorities are searching for a white man wearing a fisherman’s hat and a surgical mask.

(ENTERPRISE)-Sunday, the southern Utah site of a wagon train massacre was dedicated as part of a national historic landmark on the 154th anniversary of the event.

About 350 people were in attendance at the Mountain Meadows Massacre site near Enterprise as Zion National Park Superintendent Jock Whitworth presented plaques to mark the site.

The site, which consists of 760 acres, is where 120 members of an Arkansas wagon train were shot and killed by a Mormon militia September 11, 1857.

The Baker-Fancher wagon train was on its way to California when it was attacked in the meadow region of present-day northern Washington County.

Government officials, church leaders and descendants of the pioneers spoke at the dedication ceremony which occurred amid sunny skies two months after a U.S. Interior Department upgraded the site’s status to that of a historic landmark.

Whitworth glorified the designation, saying it is a reconciliation among the different factions involved while historic landmarks have “exceptional value and quality,” while teaching Americans about their past.

The presidents of the Mountain Meadows Foundation, the Mountain Meadows Association and Mountain Meadows Massacre Descendants led a prayer and then read the names of wagon train victims and survivors.

Leaders of the descendants group stated the designation opens up a new era between them and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints which will preserve the massacre story for future generations.

For years, descendants had fought to wrestle an apology for the massacre from the Salt Lake City-based Church, which had downplayed the notion that then-Church President Brigham Young did not have any advance knowledge of the attack.

Sunday, LDS Church historian and General Authority, Marlin K. Jensen said he is personally sorry for the unfolding of these events and believes the Church’s hierarchy agrees with this assessment.

The landmark site now includes a rock cairn monument at the site where this five-day siege began, a hillside memorial inscribed with the names of the known dead and an area known as the “upper grave to the north.”

The site is part of a 2,500-acre rolling green valley, which includes several known mass grave sites.

Much of the land is privately owned by the LDS Church and some is under the possession of the U.S. Forest Service.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County detectives are warning residents to be wary of a phone scam involving bank debit cards. County Sheriff Nate Curtis said his office received several complaints over the weekend where a caller tells people to reactivate their Wells Fargo debit card, when the person actually had no account at the bank. Curtis said the scammer indicates the debit card had been inactivated and the victim needs to re-enter their debit card information to be reactivated. Sheriff Curtis said banks don’t require debit card users to dial in numbers unless the financial institution informs them through personal mail when they receive a new card. He said the scam is designed to get people to give their personal account information over the phone to unknown people. He said to avoid such calls and notify the sheriff’s office if a call is received.

(DELTA) – South Salt Lake police are searching for vandals that cut a fiber-optic line over the weekend, knocking out phone and Internet service to the Millard County area. Mike Giles with Frontier Communications in North Salt Lake, which serves Millard County long distance, says vandals, looking for copper, cut the line in the 7800 South area of West Jordan early Sunday at about 12:30am and cut service to Delta, Fillmore, Lynndyl, Scipio and most of Millard County. Giles said the company is working to repair the line as quickly as possible and apologizes to Millard County customers for the inconvenience. He said service should be restored today.

EPHRAIM, Utah (AP)-Adam Eastman tossed for 284 yards and three touchdowns and the Snow Badgers pounded the Georgia Military Bulldogs 30-7 Saturday in a non-conference junior college tilt.

Damond Powell added four receptions for 131 yards and a pair of scores for the Badgers, who improved to 2-0 on the young season.

Jon Hess added three field goals, of 26, 24 and 24 yards for the Badgers who will next travel to Tucson, Ariz. to face WSFL foe Pima next Saturday September 17 at 8:00 p.m. MDT.

(COVE FORT) – Fire crews are monitoring a lightning-caused wildfire that was ignited this afternoon west of Cove Fort. Millard County Fire Warden Howard Allred said the fire started at about 2pm and has only consumed about five acres, six miles west of Cove Fort. He said the fire is not rapidly spreading due to rain in the area. Allred said his office is dealing with numerous lightning strikes on the west desert, accompanied by rains in the Kanosh and Meadow areas. No roads have been closed and no structures are threatened. No injuries have been reported in the fire and crews are monitoring the spread of the blaze.

(EPHRAIM) – A 1.5-million gallon water tank constructed at the mouth of Ephraim Canyon is close to completion. City Planner Bryan Kimball says the new water tank is about 95% complete and should be operational by early winter. The tank is located near the Snow College ropes course at the mouth of Ephraim Canyon. After adopting a 20-year master plan for the city, officials said the water tank was on a “most needed” list to accommodate the needs for increased growth. City leaders said the project was barely funded by federal stimulus money, which covered about 75% of the cost. Manti General Contractor, Dale Cox, said the project was bid at $1.3 million.

(CEDAR CITY)-A 43-year-old West Jordan man will be doing jail time for defrauding Filipino investors of more than $500,000.

Last month, Jonathon Watts was sentenced in 3rd District Court to one year in jail and ordered to pay restitution after pleading guilty to two second-degree felony counts of securities fraud and racketeering as well as a third-degree felony count of attempted theft.

Watts convinced homeowners to refinance their homes or get home equity lines of credit to invest in a project, known as Tuscany, a planned unit development in the Fiddler’s Canyon area of Cedar City, court documents attest.

At least 11 investors were granted “Trust Deed Notes,” although the notes were not secured and did not give them any interest in the property while the parties were defrauded out of more than $600,000 for the project.

The property was never purchased while developers never received the required approvals from Cedar City for the project, according to staff from the Utah Attorney General’s office.

Watts and two other defendants, 42-year-old Michael Lynn Bloxham and 37-year-old Robert Razo Ty, all worked at Capstone Equity Capital of Dallas, were not licensed to sell securities.

Judge Randall Skanchy suspended a possible 25-year prison sentence on the condition Watts repays the victims of his crime.

Bloxham was also convicted and received a similar sentence while Ty fled after charges were filed and a warrant has since been issued for his arrest.

(CEDAR CITY) – A lightning-caused wildfire burning in Zion’s National Park is nearing full containment. Fire managers say the Herbs Point Wildfire, burning in the Kolob Canyons section of Zion’s, is about 90% contained. The fire that started Sept. 3 has burned about 195 acres in rugged terrain in the Park and is consuming oak brush, pinyon-juniper and mixed conifer. In spite of 13 scattered structures located north to the fire, the blaze has not threatened any out buildings or property. No roads have been closed as a result of the wildfire and no injuries have been reported. Fire managers hope to have the fire fully contained by the beginning of next week.

(WASHINGTON)-While standing in the midst of a sharply divided joint session of Congress Thursday evening, President Barack Obama pitched his $450 billion jobs plan.

Despite Obama’s emphasis that the GOP should pass it immediately, making the assertion 16 times, Utah Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee doubt the viability of the president’s proposed solution and applauded with their fellow Republicans when Obama admitted Medicare, Medicaid and the tax code are all in need of “serious reform.”

Hatch said Obama’s address was nothing new and that American people need to be back in charge instead of Washington.

However, Hatch and Lee were among the few senators who took out paper and pen last night, presumably to record notes about the speech.

Lee maintained his previous stance concerning Obama’s ideology saying Obama’s agenda has been a failure, punctuated by the unemployment figures which never seem to drop.

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. says the speech was “empty rhetoric” and that bold reform is needed to rectify the presently broken system.

(WASHINGTON)-While Texas Governor Rick Perry has seen his chances to be the GOP presidential candidate rise precipitously, he can likely expect many questions concerning the death penalty as he participates in more debates.

Wednesday at Simi Valley, Calif., the audience applauded comments made by moderator Brian Williams at the Reagan National Library when he mentioned the death penalty had been carried out against 234 Texas inmates during Perry’s tenure which has lasted more than a decade.

Although it is probable that the 234 felons committed the crimes they were executed for, it is widely believed that Perry allowed at least one innocent man to be killed while in another incident, multiple protests from prominent organizations were ignored when a foreigner was executed on Texas soil.

In 2004, The Lone Star state executed Cameron Todd Willingham for starting a fire that killed his three young daughters while the New Yorker and PBS’ Frontline series produced rigorous analysis of the facts in Willingham’s case while they seemed to confirm his innocence.

However, Perry opted not to grant the prisoner’s last petition for a stay of execution pending further investigation.

Last month, The Washington Post asserted that faulty forensic science may have led to Willingham’s conviction and even now in Texas, this remains the subject of investigation.

More recently, Texas executed Humberto Leal Garcia last July 7 notwithstanding formal protestations from the Justice Department, the Mexican government and the United Nations that Garcia’s conviction had violated his rights as a Mexican national.

Presently, there are more convictions still pending in Texas awaiting Perry’s final decision.

(ST. GEORGE)-During a Wednesday meeting at St. George, the Spectrum reported Arizona and Utah officials have maintained their opposition to a ban on uranium mining near the Grand Canyon, claiming this stifles an opportunity for jobs and revenue to grow.

The Environmental Protection Agency has considered closing the area which is currently being temporarily banned from uranium mining on the Arizona Strip for mining claims for the next 20 years.

A decision is expected by the end of the year.

The Spectrum reports Mohave County (Ariz.) Supervisor Buster Johnson stated that if mining is prohibited, it would ruin the area’s economy.

Greta Hyland, a representative for Hurricane-based environmentalist group Citizens For Dixie’s Future, says the risk of uranium mining remain significant and could pose a legitimate threat to the economy.

(BOSTON)-Former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi was sentenced to eight years in federal prison Friday for using his clout to steer two state contracts to a software firm in exchange for kickbacks.

U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf also sentenced co-defendant Richard McDonough, a prominent Statehouse lobbyist, to seven years in prison for his role in the scheme.

Prosecutors were seeking a 12.5-year sentence for DiMasi, who was convicted last June on charges of conspiracy, extortion and honest services fraud.

Defense attorneys asked for three years, citing DiMasi’s public service and strong family ties.

Thursday, DiMasi delivered an emotional speech in court, saying he was a broken man, while advocating for Wolf to show mercy to him.

During sentencing, he showed no emotion, The Associated Press reported.

Wolf will now decide whether the men can remain free while convictions are appealed, but said they are not required to report to prison for at least six weeks.

Prosecutors said DiMasi used the considerable clout in his office to steer two state contracts worth a combined $17.5 million to software firm Cognos of Ottawa in exchange for payments in 2006 and 2007.

According to testimony, DiMasi received $65,000 in payments funneled through an unwitting law partner, while McDonough obtained $300,000 in payments disguised as consulting or lobbying fees, prosecutors stated.

Richard Vitale, an accountant and close friend of DiMasi’s, was acquitted by the jury while prosecutors attested Vitale’s businesses received $600,000 through this scheme.

Some of this was used to set up a line of credit for DiMasi, who lost considerable income from his law practice after becoming speaker and was struggling with considerable credit card debt.

Prosecutors also allege that DiMasi was planning for his eventual departure from the Statehouse and advocating for a joint business venture with Vitale after his political career drew to a close.

Defense attorneys argued that allegations involving Vitale should not be considered in sentencing procedures because the jury did not convict him of any crimes.

A fourth defendant in the case, former software salesman Joseph Lally pleaded guilty before the trial and testified against the three other men.

(SAN DIEGO)-Early Friday, utility crews restored electricity to much of California, Arizona and Mexico, a day after extensive power outages left millions in the dark, an issue exacerbated by many residents’ complaints on social media phenomenon Twitter.

The outages also drastically affected numerous freeways and halted flights at San Diego International Airport.

However, officials warned the electrical grid was still too fragile and asked businesses and residents to go easy on, or at the least, refrain from using major appliances, such as air conditioners.

Electricity returned to San Diego early Friday, signifying the blackout had ended because most of those affected in the California coast region were in the nation’s eighth-largest city, which numbered 1,301,617 residents as of the 2010 Census.

City schools, state universities and community colleges in the area remained shuttered early Friday while beaches were closed because the outage had caused a 3.2-million gallon sewage spill.

Mexico’s electrical utility said lights are on for 1.1 million customers, or 97 percent of those who lost power and all 56,000 of its customers in Yuma, Ariz. have had their power restored as well.

The outage occurred at 4:00 p.m. PDT Thursday afternoon for all of San Diego Gas & Electric Co.’s 1.4 million households and business customers.

This left residents without air conditioners and proceeded to cripple select freeway and airport traffic.

This outage extended into southern Orange County (Calif.) and as far east as Yuma and select portions of Mexico.

The region it struck houses nearly 6 million inhabitants although The Associated Press isn’t sure how many lost power.

Reportedly, the outage occurred after an electrical worker with Phoenix-based Arizona Public Service Co. removed a piece of monitoring equipment at a power substation in southwestern Arizona.

The company said it was unclear why this mishap, which under normal circumstances would have been isolated, would spark such a widespread outage although the company said this would be the impetus of an investigation.

Officials in San Diego and other struck areas said they were on alert because of the outage but did not cite any occurrence of looting or other unrest as it ensued.

This outage came more than eight years after a more severe blackout in 2003 darkened a large portion of the Northeast and Midwest which saw 50 million people affected.

In 2001, California suffered through a failed experiment with energy deregulation which was widely blamed for six days of rolling blackouts which cut power to more than 3 million customers and shut down refrigerators, ATMs and traffic signals.

(WILKES-BARRE, Pa.)-Thursday, the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee poured water atop the previously drenched Northeast, closing hundreds of roads and forcing evacuation orders for more than 100,000 people from the Susquehanna River’s worst flooding in nearly 40 years.

Most of these evacuations were ordered in and around Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where the levee system is just high enough to suppress the river should it crest at the predicted level, while experts say even if the levees should hold, 800-900 unprotected homes still remain in danger.

Stephen Beckanich, the Luzerne County (Pa.)emergency manager director suggested this is a “scary situation,” while he and other officials remained confident the levees would work, but sought volunteers to lay sandbags on either side of the river.

Upstream in Binghamton, N.Y., the Susquehanna was flowing into the streets and climbed halfway up lampposts at a downtown plaza while mayor Matt Ryan called this the city of 45,000’s worst flooding since flood walls were first constructed in the 1930s and 40s.

Road closures effectively sealed Binghamton off to outside traffic as emergency responders scrambled to evacuate holdouts who did not heed warnings to leave while buses and boats were used to evacuate residents while National Guard helicopters were on standby.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said things are only going to worsen and warned people to flee as soon as the evacuation was mentioned.

Major roadways closed in the Northeast include Interstate 88 in New York, which follows the curvature of the Susquehanna and the Schuylkill Expressway (Interstate 76), which leads into Philadelphia.

Thus far, at least 11 deaths have been blamed on Lee, including four in central Pennsylvania, two in northern Virginia and one in Maryland, while four others were slain as it neared the Gulf Coast.

Up to 75,000 residents in Wilkes-Barre were ordered to leave and Mayor Tom Leighton told them to pack food, clothing and medicine while planning for a three-day evacuation.

The Susquehanna was projected to crest overnight at 40.8 feet, essentially the same height as the levee system and nearly the level it reached in 1972 when Hurricane Agnes caused massive flooding in the area.