(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Planning Commission will hold a hearing Wednesday night concerning an amendment to the City Zoning Code to allow tattoo establishments in the Downtown Zone area. In addition, the Planning Commission will welcome comments concerning a preliminary subdivision application for Phase II of the Richfield City Business Park at 2225 South 600 West. Both hearings will take place beginning at 7pm at the City Council Chambers in the Richfield City Offices. The public is invited to attend to offer comment.

(MOAB)-Last week, the uranium tailings cleanup site outside of Moab was honored with a U.S. Department of Energy Secretary’s Achievement award.

The award, presented by Secretary of Energy Steven Chu at a Washington ceremony recognized the cleanup’s employees, the project director and contractors, for exceptional service.

The Secretary’s Achievement Award is given to groups or teams for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions.

The cleanup crew at the site of the old Atlas Corp. uranium-processing mill was one of nine teams that received the award this year.

It was lionized for excavating and moving more than 4.5 million tons of uranium mill tailings and transporting them by rail 30 miles to a new disposal site.

The work thus far means 28 percent of the 16 million-ton mill tailings pile has been hauled away from the Colorado River, a water source for around 30 million people, that was tainted by uranium, ammonia, and other hazardous chemicals leaching from the waste pile.

(ATCHISON, Kan.)-Monday morning, the final three bodies of a grain elevator blast that killed six people and injured two others were recovered in Atchison, Kan., The Associated Press reported.

Three victims were found during the weekend, but unstable concrete, hanging steel beams and other damages forced crews to temporarily call off their search at the Atchison-based Bartlett Grain Co. facility, located roughly 50 miles northwest of Kansas City, Mo.

Bartlett Senior Vice President Bob Knief, announced the three bodies had been recovered, but declined identification.

Relatives stated two of the three were 21-year-old worker Curtis Field and Kansas grain inspector Travis Kell, why they said the third person was also a state grain inspector.

In a statement, Bartlett President Bill Fellows confirmed workers were loading a train with corn when the explosion occurred, but the explosion’s cause remained unclear.

The company brought in a South Dakota-based engineer who has expertise in such accidents to assist federal safety investigators at the scene.

Throughout the past 40 years, there have been more than 600 explosions at grain elevators, killing more than 250 people and injuring more than 1,000 others, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Last year, there were non-fatal grain explosions or fires in several states, including Nebraska, Ohio, Louisiana, Illinois and South Dakota.

(PAGE, Ariz.)-The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports that as Page, Ariz. continues to suffer through racial discrepancies in the community’s two elementary schools, it has been proposed that they be reconfigured as primary and intermediate schools, respectively.

The Page Unified School District governing board is considered housing grades K-2 in one school and grades 3-5 in another while the district has been gauging public opinion on the reconfiguration this fall and the school board will revisit the topic at its Tuesday meeting.

The proposal is the result of a class-action lawsuit settled in 2007 that alleged Page had a “white” school and an “Indian” school.

Although the district consists of 73 percent Native American students overall and natives are the overwhelming majority at Page’s Desert View and Lake View elementary schools, Page is essentially an island surrounded by the Navajo Nation, and the non-natives primarily congregate at Lake View.

Page Unified is an open enrollment district, without neighborhood attendance boundaries for its elementary schools, while the city itself consists of roughly 7,200 residents and the district has about 14,600 students.

(CEDAR CITY)-Sunday night, residents of Juniper Hall on the Southern Utah University campus were advised by university administration that because of a failure in the building’s heating system, they would need to relocate to other housing by Sunday November 6.

The 227 residents of the dormitory, located directly south of the Sherratt Library on campus, were provided a wide array of housing options including relocation to vacant beds on campus, the voluntary tripling of rooms within the on-campus housing inventory and transitioning to off-campus locations, some of which are available between the university and Cedar High School, five blocks to the south.

The university is also presently soliciting faculty, staff and community members to open homes to students wherever possible.

Thursday morning, housing personnel noticed the heating system was not holding pressure sufficiently and the water was not being retained within the closed system.

Because Juniper Hall was designed 50 years ago, the water lines are buried in concrete floors, making it extremely difficult to assess should something go awry.

Experts were brought in to assist housing maintenance staff locate what was considered a break in the pipe.

SUU will provide prorated refunds for any Juniper residents desirous to be released from their university housing agreement and find any off-campus accommodations.

The university will also offer $300 scholarships for the spring semester to all students at Juniper being inconvenienced by this move.

The university community will also work cooperatively to assist students in their transition. For more information, please visit www.suu.edu/housing/host or call 586-7710.

(ELSINORE) – A Central Valley man was taken to the hospital with injuries after crashing on his ATV above Elsinore over the weekend. Sevier County deputies said 33-year old Brady Nielson had missed a turn in the road due to too much dust and had gone over an embankment on his Polaris R-Z-R. Witnesses said Nielson hit a tree and landed some 40 feet at the bottom of the ravine. Search and Rescue, along with EMT’s were called Sunday at 7:15pm to an area about five miles above Elsinore on the West Mountain road and transported Nielson to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with possible broken ribs and was released.

DUCHESNE, Utah (AP)-Macoy Young returned an interception for a score and added a touchdown run while Matt Muir posted three touchdown runs as the Duchesne Eagles pounded the Monument Valley Cougars, 65-26 Saturday in the 1A football playoffs. Duchesne next meets Rich Saturday at 11:00 a.m. in the 1A semifinals at Wasatch High School in Heber City. Monticello will play Layton Christian in the other semifinal at 2:00 p.m. Saturday after the Buckaroos shellacked Milford, 64-30.

OREM, Utah (AP)-Megan Bean amassed 19 kills and the Richfield Lady Wildcats took the 2A girls volleyball title with a 3-1 win over the San Juan Lady Broncos Saturday evening at Utah Valley University.

OREM, Utah (AP)-Swayzi Slade and Martha Beh stepped up for the Monticello Lady Buckaroos to help them earn the 1A state volleyball championship with a 3-0 upset of the Rich Lady Rebels Saturday night at Utah Valley University.

(FILLMORE) – A pre-trial conference was held this morning for a Fillmore man charged in the murder of a Millard County deputy in 2010. Fourth District Court staff said that during the telephone conference, defense attorneys for 39-year old Roberto Roman, petitioned Judge Donald Eyre for time to complete evidence collected on the charge. Eyre scheduled an evidentiary hearing for Roman on Jan. 20, 2012. Roman is charged in the shooting death of former deputy Josie Fox in the early morning hours of Jan. 5, 2010 in a traffic stop on SR-50 east of Delta.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Mike Lee says he’s troubled by the Department of Justice’s attempt to allow federal agencies to provide misleading information to the public under the guise of national security. Lee said the DOJ is gradually moving towards a “slippery slope” by denying the existence of certain government documents that qualify for public scrutiny under the Freedom Of Information Act. He says a process is already in place in the nation’s courts that would limit the public’s ability to access certain government records. Lee said he’s working with his colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to investigate the matter.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Thursday, three judges were elected to serve three-year terms on the Utah Judicial Council.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports they are 7th District Judge George Harmond, 4th District Judge David Mortensen and 2nd District Justice Court Judge John Sandberg, who serves the Clinton and Clearfield justice courts, have replaced 4th District Judge Donald Eyre, 5th District Judge Michael Westfall and Uintah County Justice Court Judge G.A. Petry, respectively, who have completed their terms.

Additionally, 3rd District Juvenile Court Judge Kimberly Hornak has been named as vice chair of the council.

The Utah Judicial Council is the policymaking body for the judiciary while the council has the constitutional authority to adopt uniform rules for the administration of all courts in the state.

The council also sets standards for judicial performance, court facilities, support services and judicial and non-judicial staff levels.

The council is chaired by Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Chris Durham and consists of 14 members.

The judges and Utah State Bar representatives each serve three-year terms.

(ZION NATIONAL PARK)-Thursday, Zion National Park announced rangers are seeking public comment on possible revisions to how the park issues permits for back country activities.

The focal point of the commentary is to create an updated permitting plan to be released February 1, 2012 while improving visitors’ experiences inside the park.

Areas and activities within the park that will require wilderness or back country permits continue to increase in popularity while the permits are all required for overnight trips, as well as day trips into the park’s various slot canyons.

Park officials say that as the demand for the limited number of permits has increased, the competition for permits has increased as well as many visitors have waited for hours, or even overnight, in certain instances, to obtain permits.

The plan under revision is seeking to address issues tourists and visitors have experienced, while boosting the park’s operational efficiency in the area.

The public can provide comments through December 15 while comments can also be mailed to Zion National Park, Zion Wilderness Permits, Springdale, Utah 84767.

For more information, please call Ray O’Neill at 772-7823 or Annette Werderich at 772-7611.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Thursday, a Utah man accused of smuggling a knife onto an airplane and threatening to kill police was released from jail.

A federal judge in Salt Lake City ordered the 60-year-old David Alan Anderson to be released, but said he must undergo mental health treatment prior to his federal trial.

Anderson is charged with possessing a dangerous weapon on an aircraft and retaliation against a federal officer by threat of murder and he has subsequently pleaded not guilty.

If convicted, Anderson faces up to 20 years in prison.

Authorities stated Anderson was arrested September 18 after being removed from a Las Vegas-bound Delta Airlines flight in Salt Lake City while they say he threatened to kill his seatmate during a dispute concerning a shared armrest and had a knife in his bag.

(PHOENIX)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports Arizona experienced a historic day Thursday as the 17-megawatt Paloma Solar Power Plant of Gila Bend, Ariz. has been completed.

Phoenix-based Arizona Public Service Co. announced earlier this week they had placed the Cotton Center solar plant in commercial operation and is the second-such facility to come online as part of the Arizona Sun program.

The plants were constructed by third-party partners, such as Tempe, Ariz.-based First Solar, which APS will own and operate after the facilities are completed.

APS stated the four-year project will create more than 1,000 Arizona construction jobs and have 100 MW online by 2014.

(GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.)-Last Wednesday, Grand Canyon National Park Supervisory Park Ranger Lisa Hendy was awarded the National Park Service’s 2011 Harry Yount National Park Ranger Award for excellence in the field.

The award is named in honor of Yount, the nation’s first park ranger, who was hired at Yellowstone National Park in 1880 and is the highest award an NPS ranger can achieve.

Grand Canyon chief ranger Bill Wright said Hendy is a worthy recipient as she is always ready to assist when called upon and can be found doing a wide array of tasks to ensure visitors are safe at the national park.

Hendy is a native of Chattanooga, Tenn. and attended Auburn University of Auburn, Ala.

Her previous experience in the NPS includes stints at Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Arches and Yellowstone National Parks while in 2004, she accepted a position as law enforcement ranger in Grand Canyon National Park’s Canyon District where she presently labors.

(CASTLE DALE) – A former Emery County sheriff’s deputy has been charged with stealing prescription drugs. According to jail records released Thursday, 29-year old Clayton Bell broke into the sheriff’s office evidence room at least five times to steal the drugs. Bell resigned on Oct. 1 and was arrested 15 days later after being found inside the sheriff’s office. The jail records said Bell, on two occasions, had used a card similar to a credit card to manipulate the lock on the front door of the sheriff’s office to gain access into the evidence room. Deputies, who searched Bell, found 40 prescription pills in his pockets at the time of his arrest. Bell stated he needed the pills due to an addiction he developed. Investigators also said Bell had entered the evidence room five to ten times without authorization during the two months prior to his resignation. He was also arrested for theft of a pair of binoculars that belonged to the department and possession of a firearm by a restricted person.

(MONTICELLO) – A former San Juan County Sheriff has been indicted for stealing from taxpayers. Court papers said that 61-year old Mike Lacy has been charged with misuse of public funds while in office. The charges don’t state in what way or how much Lacy allegedly stole but the offense is listed as Nov. 10, 2010. That was a week after Lacy lost his bid for a fifth term in office. The lone charge is a felony and punishable by up to five years in prison. Court documents were filed Tuesday and Lacy was issued a summons to appear in 7th District Court on the charges on Oct. 31. Lacy and the sheriff’s office have declined comment. The former sheriff gained media attention in May of 1998, when three self-styled Rambo survivalists killed a police officer in Cortez, CO., wounded a San Juan Sheriff’s deputy and disappeared into the vast desert near Hovenweep National Monument. Their bodies were recovered but the deaths are shrouded in mystery. In 2009, Lacy oversaw trafficking charges in a stolen American Indian artifacts case.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking proposals from states and U.S. territories interested in obtaining federal assistance for endangered species conservation. Federal officials say $100 million in grant funding is available to help states acquire land or conduct planning efforts to benefit protected species. The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund is authorized under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act to provide funds for a wide range of projects, including species status surveys, captive propagation and public education to habitat acquisition, restoration and the development of conservation plans.

(ROCKVILLE, Md.)-Officials at Provo-based Blue Castle Holdings were presenting details Thursday concerning an analysis of a proposed nuclear power plant near Green River.

The details, related to seismic evaluations, environmental analysis, and geophysical surveys are being heard at a day-long hearing by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as part of the early-site permit process at Rockville, Md.

Blue Castle is proposing to install a two-unit nuclear power plant on a 1,700-acre parcel west of Green River along Interstate 70.

The licensing process before the federal regulatory agency takes years, with extensive environmental reviews and site preparation that have to occur.

The actual permit will not be submitted until early 2013, stated Joe Manicelli, the project manager of an engineering and environmental firm headed by Blue Castle.

The public hearing was to be teleconferenced and data, such as photographs of the site and other information, were made readily available to the public.

Manicelli stated the firm and Blue Castle have surveyed the parcel of land for such factors as endangered species and are working with the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program because the nearby Green River is home to several endangered fish species.

Mancinelli also said a number of wells have been drilled for groundwater sampling, as well as bore holes for seismic analysis.

The water required for the plant’s cooling process hinges on a pending decision by the Utah State Engineer’s Office which has received applications to divert 56,300 acre feet of water from the Green River.

The water would be leased from the Kane County and San Juan County water districts, which acquired it from two companies when a pair of coal-fired steam generation power plants were not built.

(LOGAN)-The Deseret News reports Utah State University’s graduation success rate for student athletes at the Logan-based campus stands at 84 percent, according to a report released by the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s national office Tuesday.

The rate entails a four-year average encompassing the 2001-04 classes.

Among Utah State’s 16 sports sponsored by the Overland Park, Kan.-based NCAA, two have an 100 percent GSR, softball and men’s basketball, which have achieved this metric for four consecutive years.

Other USU sports which excelled within these parameters include women’s basketball and soccer, boasting GSRs of 94 and 91 percent, respectively.

Furthermore, there is no sport on campus which features any less than a 75 percent graduation success rate.

The graduation success rate is based on a comparison of the number of student-athletes who entered college as well as the number of those who graduated within six years of initial enrollment.

The GSR subtracts student-athletes who depart for allowable exclusions, such as Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints missions, as well as those who transfer but would have been academically eligible to compete had they returned to the institution.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-ABC4 in Salt Lake City reports a Florida couple charged with fraud and bribery is scheduled to make a first appearance in court in Salt Lake City Thursday.

U.S. Attorney spokeswoman Melodie Rydalch stated 68-year-old Sylvester Zugrav and his wife, 66-year-old Maria Zugrav will appear via telephone during the hearing.

The Sarasota, Fla.-based Zugravs are charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and procurement fraud and have previously denied the charges.

A third defendant, 49-year-old Jose Mendez of Farr West, pleaded guilty in the case Monday.

Prosecutors say Mendez was working for the U.S. Air Force when he was promised more than $1.2 million to assist the Zugravs in securing government contracts while authorities say some of the money was sent via cash by Federal Express and some was deposited into a Mexican bank account.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Although various NBA reporters, such as Ken Berger of cbssports.com and Adrian Wojnarowski have suggested an end to the NBA lockout, which started July 1, may occur as soon as the end of the week, nothing has been agreed to yet.

Therefore, the Utah Jazz invited replacements into training camp Wednesday, which included Salt Lake City-based sports reporters, producers and directors.

All Utah Jazz coaches and trainers were present, including head coach Tyrone Corbin, who ran the camp, while he was assisted by coaches Scott Layden, Jeff Hornacek and Sidney Lowe.

Trainer Gary Briggs and assistant trainer Brian Zettler were on hand in the event that any of the participants sustained any injuries during the two-hour session.

There were 20 local media members who participated in the camp, including KSL-TV’s Tom Kirkland and Jeremiah Jensen, Jody Genessy of the Deseret News, and Alema Harrington and Patrick Kinahan of AM-1320/FM 100.3-KFAN.

The workout commenced with a 15-minute stretching session led by Jazz strength and conditioning coach Mark McKowan after which rudimentary offensive and defensive basketball drills occurred, such as shooting layups and jump shots and rebounding missed shots.

Corbin, who has long hoped for the NBA lockout to draw to a close, became heavily invested in the session and lost his voice toward the end of the camp.

As always, as soon as the NBA lockout ends, please remember you can get information on scores and schedules on our Web site at www.midutahradio.com/sports.

(WASHINGTON)-The Associated Press reports an increasing number of lawmakers are laboring to give Border Patrol agents unhindered access to all federal lands within 100 miles of the U.S.’ border with Mexico and Canada in hopes of combating illegal immigration.

Presently, federal agents must follow environmental protections which prevent them from patrolling significant swaths of land unless they are on horseback or foot.

In certain cases, they are required to wait months before obtaining permission to install surveillance equipment while agents have told lawmakers that the restrictions may hinder their effectiveness.

In recent weeks, three congressional panels have moved to give the Border Patrol the authority to disregard these environmental restrictions.

Environmental groups and certain Democratic lawmakers say the effort is a ruse, while they claim conservatives are using immigration to roll back environmental protections they have traditionally opposed.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will play a major role in the 24th annual White Ribbon Against Pornography Week primarily through its private nonprofit corporation LDS Family Services.

The week, which commences October 30, will include collaboration with ex-porn stars, a neurosurgeon, the Church’s Family Services initiative, filtering companies, scholars, therapists, Internet safety experts, feminist leaders, and those who can assist Spanish speakers as well.

LDS Family Services therapist Dr. Michael Gardner will participate in a live online discussion Thursday November 3 at 11:00 a.m. which will explore the Church’s 12-step program for pornography addiction.

For more information, please visit http://www.pornharms.com/beaware/.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Officials with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources stated when the annual pheasant and quail hunts in the state commence November 5, younger birds should be in abundance while numbers are up in both species.

Surveys conducted in the southwestern Utah portion of the Mohave Deseret, where Gambel’s quail are found, show this to be the case.

Justin Dolling, the upland game and migratory game bird coordinator for the DWR says this past summer, the count for these birds was at 90 while presently they number about 66, a sufficient number for hunting, he stated.

As for pheasants, Dolling says hunters can find them plentifully in areas of central Utah south of Price, especially near Huntington and Cleveland, while they can also be found in Box Elder County and select areas near Nephi in Juab and Utah Counties, among others.

Dolling stated Walk-in-Access areas throughout the state are great assets for hunters as they open private land to hunting both pheasants and quail.

For more information, please visit wildlife.utah.gov.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield LDS First Ward has donated more than $820 for the Sevier Valley Veteran’s Memorial. In a special presentation at the City Council meeting Tuesday night, Young Men and Women leaders presented the check to the city from a car wash and bake sale the youth in the Ward held. Also at the meeting, Councilmember Bryan Burrows said at least $100,000 has been cut from the budget to construct a new fire station with the bid opening set for Nov. 8. The City Council also approved new Conditional Use Permits for the Mt. Catherine Gardens and Vesper Hills senior apartment projects at 530 South College Avenue. Building Inspector Paul Hinrichs said the previous developers went bankrupt and the original CUP’s expired. He said the new developers want to complete the projects and sought the council’s approval for updated CUP’s.

(CASTLE DALE) – An ex-Emery County Sheriff’s deputy has been arrested in connection with a burglary earlier this month at his former place of employment. In a statement released today, the sheriff’s office said Clayton Bell had left his job with the sheriff’s office on Oct. 1 and he was arrested Oct. 16, the same day the burglary took place at the department’s offices in Castle Dale. The report said Bell has been booked into jail on suspicion of burglary and theft. He has since been released pending further proceedings. The sheriff’s office did not release further details on what was taken or why Bell was identified as a suspect, or under what circumstances he had left his job. The case is currently under review by the State Bureau of Investigation and is being screened by Emery County Attorney David Blackwell.

(SOUTH BEND, Ind.)-The Salt Lake Tribune reports University of Utah bioengineering student Ryan Robinson earned national recognition by placing first in a nanotechnology competition hosted by the University of Notre Dame.

The impetus of Robinson’s win at the South Bend, Ind.-based campus consisted of creating gold nano cages containing chemotherapy.

When the cages were zapped with a laser, they were proven to release cancer-fighting drugs directly into a tumor.

Robinson commenced on construction of the cages this past summer and managed to advance the work done on comparable cages by Seattle-based University of Washington Younan Xai and implemented a methodology to synthesize cages.

Theoretically, Robinson’s technology would be coated with a heat-sensitive polymer which in turn would cause the cages to shrink with heat and release the chemotherapy into the air.

The 21-year-old Robinson said he has always been interested in science, but was introduced to nanotechnology in the 8th grade when he used it for a science project.

Robinson now plans to attend graduate school and hopes to create nanotechnology companies throughout the U.S.

(Mount Pleasant) The North Sanpete School District is in the process of bonding for a new elementary school in Mount Pleasant as well as additions to the Moroni Elementary and North Sanpete High School. The bond would not exceed eighteen million dollars. According to North Sanpete Superintendent Leslie Keisel, the cost of the bond would amount to an increase of about eighty-three dollars a year for those with homes valued at $150,000 dollars. The average taxpayer currently pays about sixty-five dollars each year to the district. If the bond passes, that would increase to $148 dollars. School officials contend that the projects are necessary due to the age and condition of the Mount Pleasant Elementary and the lack of space at the other two schools. Interest rates are also very favorable right now allowing the district to borrow the money at a low cost. North Sanpete residents will have the opportunity to vote on the bond during municipal elections on November 8th.

(FAIRFAX, Va.)-2012 GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney noted he is “110 percent” behind a ballot measure in Ohio that would limit union rights, according to a report by The Associated Press.

Wednesday, Romney said he supports Ohio Governor John Kasich’s efforts to uphold legislation restricting collective bargaining for public employees while voters in Ohio are planning to consider scrapping the law at the ballot box November 8.

A day earlier, Romney said he did not have a position on the measure as he was visiting Ohio and he seemed to contradict earlier statements he had made months earlier as he reportedly wrote on Facebook that he supported the effort.

His rivals have derided him for not taking a stronger stance against unions traditionally while Romney has said previous assertions were a misunderstanding.

(REDMOND) – Two Redmond teenagers were taken to the hospital after the vehicle in which they were passengers, crashed into a backhoe Tuesday afternoon. Utah Highway Patrol said 18-year old Johnathan Hood of Redmond, was traveling in a 1994 Nissan Sentra northbound on SR-256 about a mile south of Redmond, when he attempted to pass a non-contact vehicle that had its flashing hazard lights on at 4:10pm. UHP said the non-contact vehicle started to turn left and Hood swerved to miss the vehicle and crashed into the backhoe. Hood was not injured but his two passengers, 17-year old Anisha Bradley of Redmond and 14-year old Jaren Hood, also of Redmond, were transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with injuries. None of the occupants were wearing their seatbelts. The backhoe driver, 30-year old Mathew Humphrey of Salina, was also not injured. Hood was cited for no seat belt and a warning for failure to yield.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Tuesday, a passenger attempted to carry a loaded handgun onto a flight at Salt Lake City International Airport, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

This commemorated the fifth time during this month that TSA officers at SLC International have discovered a loaded firearm at a security checkpoint during baggage screening.

The Tuesday search found a .45 caliber handgun consisting of seven rounds of ammunition in a man’s carry-on bag as he attempted to board a flight to Detroit, while he was ultimately headed to the Tampa (Fla.) International Airport, TSA authorities said.

Airport authorities arrested the man but a FBI spokeswoman said the incident did not meet the criteria to warrant federal charges.

TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers stated the number of people attempting to carry loaded guns onto airplanes is up nationwide while just last week, 22 loaded firearms were detected at airport security checkpoints nationwide.

Dankers said TSA is attempting to make people aware of the proper way guns can be taken on flights, which entail declaring the firearm’s presence to TSA, keeping it in a case, unloading it and placing it within checked luggage.

Earlier this month, land mines were discovered in checked luggage at the Salt Lake airport, causing short flight delays while an explosive detection device sounded an alarm and a Navy explosive disposal squad determined the mines to be inert.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Council has approved the expansion project at the Cove View Golf Course and granted the facility a beer license. At the city council meeting Tuesday night, golf pro Kris Abegglan says the $130,000 expansion is necessary to help the golf course improve revenues. Abegglan said the new improvements will include a restaurant and beer will also be available at the facility. He said alcohol is always brought in at the golf course and by selling beer at the clubhouse, the staff will be able to better control consumption. Abegglan said the expansion will pay for itself in ten to fifteen years, as the economy improves.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield Fire Department crews quickly doused a fire that ignited in a storage room at a Richfield residence Tuesday afternoon. Fire Chief Bryan Burrows said crews responded to the fire at about 5pm at the Doyle Cutler residence at 640 South 960 West in Richfield. Burrows said the family had placed combustible material against the water heater, which ignited the flames. He warns residents to be careful placing material next to furnaces and water heaters as we prepare for cold winter months.

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports fire crews are planning two more prescribed fires on the Coconino National Forest Wednesday.

Information from the U.S. Forest Service states the burns are being conducted to assist in restoring forest health while reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire.

These projects: The Kachina Project, which consists of 10 acres of pile burning just west of Interstate 17 south of Kachina Village, and the Victorine Project, which is about 500 acres southeast of Blue Ridge and north of Knoll Lake should both be minimal, officials say.

Little overnight smoke is expected from the Kachina Blaze, while the Victorine Project will see residual smoke possibly impacting Arizona S.R. 87 and Blue Ridge overnight.

For more information, please visit www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners are saving taxpayers hundreds of dollars each year through the use of discount cards. At the County Commission meeting on Monday, Commissioner Gordon Topham said the county saved over $1800 in office supplies and equipment with the U.S. Communities program. He also said the county pays $400 in dues each year to the National Association of Counties but saved nearly $600 for those who use a prescription discount card for their medications. Topham also commented that the county received nearly $1.7 million in PILT payments and $1.2 million through the Secure Rural Schools program, with half going to the Sevier School District. He said the savings is just part of Commissioner’s responsibility to balance the budget each year and look for ways to save taxpayers money.

(SPRINGDALE) – Zion National Park officials are seeking public comment to resolve problems of the park’s wilderness permitting procedures. Park Specialist Ray O’Neil says several options are being considered, including more use of the Internet to secure a permit. O’Neil says when groups want to get a permit for backcountry hiking, they must wait in long lines prior to the park’s opening. He said the demand for a limited number of wilderness permits has increased but so has the competition. The current wilderness permitting system allows visitors to secure permits through a reservation system for roughly 75% of all areas. O’Neil said officials may also provide a manual lottery system for visitors to get a permit. Public comment has been extended through Dec. 15, 2011 and an updated permitting plan will be released by February 1, 2012.

(PAROWAN) – County Commissioners in rural areas around Utah are concerned about the closure of state parks in their counties. Iron County Economic Development Director Mel Terry says state officials are ignoring rural representation in their audits of whether to keep parks open or not. Terry said most of the discussion over park closures around the state is focused on revenue reductions without considering community involvement. He said the more involved communities are in their local state parks, the greater the revenue stream. Terry commented that several venues can be held in state parks, including winter activities at rural state parks that are normally seasonal.

(LEHI)-The Utah Department of Transportation has announced more changes along Interstate 15 in Utah County as roadwork ensues in the region.

Presently, the southbound I-15 exits at U.S. Highway 6 and Main Street in Spanish Fork have been combined into a single off-ramp, while the existing southbound exit at Main Street is closed while both U.S. 6 and Main Street can now be accessed from the Main Street exit.

The permanent reconfiguration for this exit is part of the new U.S. 6 interchange being constructed for the I-15 CORE project in Utah County.

The bridge over I-15 at Provo’s Center Street exit is currently only open to eastbound traffic while the bridge will restore Center Street access to downtown Provo for those living west of the freeway.

Westbound Provo Center Street will remain closed until the interchange’s reopening November 19.

A segment of I-15 is now being reduced to three lanes in either direction from the Lehi Main Street exit to the 500 East exit in American Fork while the changes will remain in place through mid-November as crews continue to pave in the area.

UDOT said the 24-mile freeway reconstruction project is currently on schedule for completion in December 2012.

For more information, please visit udot.utah.gov/i15core.

(GRAY COURT, S.C.)-The Associated Press reports 2012 GOP presidential candidate, Texas Governor Rick Perry, is rolling out an economic plan consisting of a flat tax proposal, private retirement accounts for Social Security and a lower corporate tax rate.

Tuesday, it was expected Perry would outline a proposal he calls “Cut, Balance and Grow,” which is aimed at creating jobs and rectifying the struggling economy, top concerns for voters heading into the 2012 election.

Perry said he is desirous to give business people incentives to invest in their companies while starting new ones and stated he is primarily interested in getting America back to work.

The AP says it has taken Perry roughly 2.5 months to piece together an economic policy package while he has had to attend the series of debates bereft of his proposal.

It is believed Perry’s plan would make more dramatic changes than that of GOP rival Mitt Romney, as Perry’s idea involves the flat tax, while Romney’s would lower rates on corporations as well as savings and investment incomes for middle-class Americans.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-KSL-TV of Salt Lake City reports amid a scheme to defraud the federal government, cash became akin to “literature” for Jose Mendez during comments he made in federal court Monday.

A former U.S. Air Force civilian worker, Mendez pleaded guilty to accepting more than $1 million in bribes to steer contacts for military materials to a Florida company.

The 50-year-old Farr West resident confessed to bribery, conspiracy and procurement fraud in U.S. District Court while he faces up to 15 years in prison on the bribery charge and five years apiece on the other counts.

He may also receive fines totaling upward of $750,000 and will be sentenced February 21.

As part of his plea agreement, Mendez must also forfeit his computer and $183,516 in cash.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County residents will have the opportunity to drop off their old prescription medications during Drug Take Back Day this Saturday at the sheriff’s office. Sheriff Nate Curtis said the sheriff’s department will be participating in the event by asking residents to bring in their old, expired and unused prescriptions to the sheriff’s office between 10am and 2pm this Saturday. Curtis said prescription drug abuse is a growing problem in the county and the drug drop off will help to keep the drugs out of the reach of children and youth. He also warns residents to not flush medications down the toilet because it affects the water system. Several agencies are participating in the take back event.

(MONROE) – Sevier County Sheriff’s deputies are searching for suspects who broke into the South Sevier Middle School in Monroe on Monday. Deputies said it appeared someone had crawled through a window in a storage building, after peeling a board from the window. The suspects then proceeded to vandalize several rooms in the building, including throwing paint on the floors and walls. Deputies said the suspects made a mess of a number of rooms. No suspects have been identified but fingerprints were found at the scene.

(CEDAR CITY)-The Leavitt Group of Cedar City added southern California resident Brett Borisoff to the privately-held insurance broker Monday.

Borisoff’s new role will see him assist in guiding the sales management of the company’s southern California offices, including the Leavitt Insurance Agency of San Diego and Leavitt Insurance Services of Los Angeles, among others.

Borisoff most recently served as the senior vice president for SullivanCurtisMonroe Insurance Services of Irvine, Calif and features 30 years of experience in the field.

Borisoff will now have an office at the Leavitt Group’s Santa Ana, Calif.-based PrideMark-Everest Agency.

(MANTI) – Two Manti men escaped injury Friday night after their truck and trailer rolled on its side near the Manti Cemetery. A UHP report said 50-year old Ken Sorenson was traveling northbound in a 1988 Ford Bronco II, when his trailer started to fishtail at about 3:50pm. UHP said Sorenson lost control of his truck and it rolled on its side. He was not wearing his seatbelt and was not injured. His passenger, 85-year old Rey Sorenson, was wearing his seatbelt and also escaped injury. Ken was cited for not wearing his seatbelt.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield Parks and Recreation Department has gained approval from the Sevier County Commission over the use of a county trail for a new marathon race next year. Director Paul Foster approached Commissioners today at their regular Commission meeting concerning the use of the Candy Mtn. Express Trail in a new half-marathon race. Foster told Commissioners the race would run from the Big Rock Candy Mountain Resort, through Sevier and end in Joseph on Sept. 15, 2012. He said the race should be a big attraction to runners across Utah who enjoy participating in marathon races. Use of the trail would restrict public access on that day from 7am to early afternoon.

(LOA) – A California motorcyclist was ejected from his three-wheel motorcycle Thursday morning after crashing on SR-24 near Loa. According to a UHP report, 61-year old Luis Rubenstein, of West Lake, CA., was traveling westbound on a 2011 Cana Spider, when he went off the left shoulder of the highway and off an embankment at about 8:30am. UHP said Rubenstein was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. It’s not known why the motorcyclist ran off the road.

(SANTAQUIN) – A motorcyclist was unconscious and struggling to breathe after colliding with an SUV Sunday night near Santaquin. According to a UHP report, the motorcycle and SUV were both traveling northbound, when they crashed at about 5pm. UHP said two motorcyclists were injured, one seriously and were flown to an area hospital. No other details were available on the crash or the victims.

SANDY, Utah (AP)-Grace Sponaugle scored the sole goal of the game and the Waterford Lady Ravens earned the 2A state girls soccer title with a 1-0 win over the St. Joseph Lady Jayhawks Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Jeannie Woller posted the shutout in the win for Waterford.

SANDY, Utah (AP)-Avery Calton provided all the offense in the game and Kelsey East earned the shutout as the Ogden Lady Tigers edged the Cedar Lady Reds, 1-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium in the 3A girls soccer championship game.

(LAKE POWELL) – Lake Powell officials have announced reduced hours and some facility closures as the winter season approaches. Officials say the Defiance House Lodge and Anasazi Restaurant at Bullfrog will close Nov. 6 and the ramp and boat docks will be open during the day until Nov. 19. The Halls Crossing-Bullfrog Ferry will close for the season on Nov. 1 and the fuel dock will close Nov. 6. Other areas of Lake Powell will close at the end of November.

(NORTH OGDEN) – North Ogden police say missing teen, Alexis Rasmussen, may have briefly left the home where she was babysitting on the night she disappeared. Authorities say Rasmussen might have left the home of Eric and Dea Millerberg around 11pm or midnight on Sept. 10, “either to meet a friend at a nearby school or for a ride home.” It’s unknown whether the 16-year old girl returned to the Millerberg’s. Surveillance video at a Walgreen’s store in Layton showed that Dea Millerberg and Rasmussen went to pick up a prescription, after which Millerberg left to resume her night with Eric. Police said Rasmussen texted her mother around 11:30pm to tell her the Millerberg’s were not home and her mother told her to stay at the home for the night. The Millerberg’s are in jail on drug charges unrelated to the girl’s disappearance. State medical examiners have not confirmed human remains found in a rural area in Morgan County are that of Rasmussen.

(KANOSH) – The Millard County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help in apprehending suspects involved in an active attempted kidnapping case in Kanosh last year. Deputies believe the suspects are hunters and may be out again this year during the deer hunt. Sketches of the suspects are posted on the sheriff’s website at www.millardsheriff.org. If you have any information in the case, please call the Millard County Sheriff’s Office.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners have planned a public hearing Monday to consider an application submitted by Rocky Mountain Power for a zoning change to construct power lines through the county. RMP officials need to string transmission lines throughout the county as part of their Sigurd to Red Butte Transmission Line Project and a zoning change is required. Zoning administrators say five parcels on the western side of the county are affected for a change from Residential Agriculture to Grazing Forest. The public is invited to attend the hearing, scheduled for Monday at about 2:45pm, at the Sevier County Administration Building in Richfield.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-As Utah Education Conference meetings commenced Thursday, teachers were addressed by former Jeopardy champion and Utah resident Ken Jennings.

The ceremonies began with UEA President Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh by thanking teachers and union members while speaking of the challenges instructors in the state face such as dwindling resources, students with a wide array of needs and criticism from lawmakers.

Jennings then spoke of the importance of trivia, saying knowing numerous things about a wide array of topics can help students and instructors alike in relating to people throughout the world.

The UEA convention will ensue through Friday and is expected to draw up to 3,000 educators who will listen to additional speakers and attend teacher-training workshops.

Students in most Utah school districts were off Thursday and will also get Friday off.

(GALLUP, N.M.)-KOB-TV, Channel 4 in Albuquerque, N.M. reports Sharon Pinto has been named director of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Navajo Regional office at Gallup, N.M.

The office covers the expansive Navajo Reservation which has land in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

Pinto had been serving as acting director since May after serving as second-in-command since 2007 while the BIA announced her appointment to head the office this week.

Pinto oversees 420 employees and the administration of more than $170 million for BIA programs.

Pinto came into the BIA after working for 11 years in tribal and state governments and the private sector.

She succeeds Omar Bradley, who retired earlier this year.

(TUCSON, Ariz.)-KPNX-TV, Channel 12 in Phoenix reports an Arizona man has admitted in court that he used a computer to interrupt a Tucson, Ariz.-area telecast of Super Bowl 43 in 2009 between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers with a 37-second pornography clip.

Pima County (Ariz.) prosecutors say 39-year-old Frank Tanori Gonzalez of Tucson pleaded guilty to two counts of computer tampering Thursday.

The Arizona Daily Star reported Gonzalez is slated for sentencing December 1.

As part of a plea agreement, Gonzalez must serve three years probation and pay a $1,000 fine.

Should Gonzalez successfully complete his probation, the crime will be designated as a misdemeanor rather than a felony while Gonzalez was arrested in February by the FBI.

Authorities stated someone cut into the Comcast cable broadcast of this game that went to the Tucson area.

Incidentally, the Steelers will be playing the Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. this Sunday.

(PANGUITCH) – A Salt Lake City man was taken to the hospital after crashing to avoid hitting another automobile on SR-89 north of Panguitch Thursday afternoon. According to a UHP report, 67-year old Ron Orton was traveling southbound in a 2002 Ford Ranger, when he ran off the road to avoid hitting a 2007 Ford Explorer, driven by 15-year old Jacob Reschke, also of Salt Lake. UHP said Orton was wearing his seatbelt but was speeding when his vehicle came to rest in a ditch. He was transported to the Garfield Memorial Hospital with unknown injuries in the 2:30pm accident. Reschke and his passenger, 55-year old John Reschke of Salt Lake, were wearing their seatbelts and were not injured.

(ST. GEORGE)-Earlier this month, St. George Police learned that former officers, 29-year-old Maxwell T. Houghton and 35-year-old Paulette Stoker were arrested for robbing a Lin’s Market Pharmacy at Overton, Nev. and the pair are currently being detained at the Clark County (Nev.) Detention Facility.

The St. George Police Department’s Investigations Division had deemed Houghton to be a suspect and Stoker as a person of interest in the robberies of several St. George pharmacies this past summer prior to their arrest.

Houghton and Stoker both left the St. George Police Department in 2007 while Houghton was terminated while on probation and Stoker resigned.

Anyone with any unreported information on this duo is encouraged to contact police detective Adam Olstead at 627-4319.

(RICHMOND)-A Cache Valley creamery has been honored for renovation work at a 19th Century farm by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Seven structures on the Burnham farm in Richmond were rehabilitated by Rockhill Creamery owners Pete Scheroff and Jennifer Hines, stated the Logan Herald-Journal while the creamery is actually a micro-dairy and specializes in cheese making.

Among the buildings overhauled on the premises are an egg-cooler building and the hay barn while co-recipients of the award include the Bear River Heritage Area, the Richmond mayor’s office, the Richmond Historic Preservation Commission and the Utah Heritage Foundation.

Schropp and Hines purchased the farm in 1986 and Schropp said upon their acquisition, the farm was in disarray but the original egg-cooler building is now a parlor where cheeses are handmade in small batches and aged.

The couple reportedly received an award at the National Preservation Conference at Buffalo, N.Y. Thursday.

COALVILLE, Utah (AP)-Nathan Rees ran for three touchdowns and the North Summit Braves crushed the Kanab Cowboys, 42-9 Thursday in the first round of the 2A football playoffs. Brandon Jenson had a 1-yard touchdown run and booted a 35-yard field goal in the loss for Kanab. The Braves will next face San Juan, the 2A South Region’s #1 seed next weekend at Blanding.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Braden Hampton ran for a 4-yard touchdown in overtime to lift the Richfield Wildcats to a 38-32 win over the American Leadership Eagles in the first round of the 2A football playoffs Thursday. Hampton added another scoring run for the Wildcats, while Spencer Henderson ran for three more touchdowns for Richfield. The Wildcats next travel to Millard next weekend in the 2A quarterfinals.

ENTERPRISE, Utah (AP)-Cory Cox and David Dyer had touchdown runs and Bailey Faimalo returned an interception 40 yards for another score as the Emery Spartans edged the Enterprise Wolves, 20-18 Thursday in the first round of the 2A playoffs. Sage Palmer caught a scoring pass and Jade Hulet added a touchdown run in the loss for Enterprise. The Spartans next travel to Manti to face the 2A North champion Templars next weekend.

KAMAS, Utah (AP)-Matt Rydalch had a pair of short touchdown runs and Bracken Santos returned a punt 60 yards for another score as the South Summit Wildcats blanked the Grand Red Devils, 33-0 in the first round of the 2A playoffs Thursday. South Summit next travels to Beaver next weekend in the 2A quarterfinals.

ENTERPRISE, Utah (AP)-Taylor Phelps posted 28 assists and eight digs as the Enterprise Lady Wolves blanked the Beaver Lady Beavers, 3-0 Thursday in Region 13 volleyball action.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Mike Lee has introduced bi-partisan legislation to boost demand for homes by attracting foreign investors to purchase residences and live in the U.S. Lee, along with Democrat Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, announced the concept would boost foreign travel to America and aid in national investments. The legislation would provide, for the first time, a three-year residential visa for foreign nationals who invest at least $500,000 in residential real estate in the United States. Lee said the program would not serve as a path to citizenship for foreign nationals but would remove bureaucratic red tape that stifles travel and reduce barriers for Chinese and Canadian visitors whose consumer spending provides a lift to the U.S. economy. Currently, Chinese travelers must renew their visas every year, while other foreigners receive up to 10-year, mulitple-entry visas.

(CEDAR CITY) – Utah Department of Transportation officials say the landslide on SR-14 is comparable to a massive landslide in the same vicinity nearly two decades ago. District Engineer Jim McConnell said structural repairs in the 1992-3 slide have held up over the years. The current slide, located about eight miles east of Cedar City in the Cedar Breaks National Monument, dumped more than 1.5 million tons of dirt, rocks and debris onto the roadway. McConnell said that most likely, the repairs to the highway will continue into next summer. UDOT crews will continue to analyze the affected area through aerial survey data collected late last week to give engineers the information they need to reconstruct the damage and determine cost estimates. Snow removal on SR-14 this winter will only be maintained from the U.S. Hwy 89 corridor up to Navajo Lake.

(JUNCTION) – County officials and state park advocates across Utah are pleading with state lawmakers to keep their parks open. Lawmakers say budget cuts will ultimately close some of Utah’s 43 state parks. Sanpete County Commissioner Claudia Jarrett said closure of the Palisade State Park would be devastating to her county. She said the golf course was built by Sanpete County and gifted to the state and it would be ironic to unfund it and give it away. Piute County Economic Development Director Mel Terry said the two state parks in his county have the potential to be winter wonderlands but only operate on a seasonal basis. In addition, Terry says local food vendors want to tap into the concessions market but bureaucratic red tape has stymied the effort. Utah Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Mike Styler oversees the state parks division and says $3 million in funding cuts have already affected department operations and any further cuts would “decimate” the division. Privatizing state parks has proven to not be a viable option nationwide due to its lack of success and county officials say their budgets are limited to take on the excess costs of operating state parks.

(ST. GEORGE) – Congressman Jim Matheson spent Wednesday meeting with students in Washington County. Staffers said Matheson’s first stop was at Fossil Ridge Intermediate School, where he discussed policy before answering questions. Matheson also met up with Dixie State College communication students before finishing up his trip with a tour of buildings currently under construction.

(ST. GEORGE)-The Federal Aviation Administration wants to fine St. George-based SkyWest Airline $160,000 for operating four fights earlier this year which officials believe carried incorrect weight balances.

In a statement released Wednesday, the FAA says the company failed to accurately document cargo and baggage loads March 3 for flights leaving San Diego, Phoenix, Omaha, Neb. and Missoula, Mont. en route to Salt Lake City.

SkyWest has 30 days to respond to the FAA from the time it received the civil penalty letter.

SkyWest has previously paid civil penalties in eight previous cases alleging similar problems concerning improper weight, balance and loading calculations and documentation.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The state of Utah could save more than $1 million annually by eliminating the Department of Community and Culture, while turning over its functions to other agencies.

Another option presented to the state Legislature’s Workforce Services and Community and Economic Development Interim Committee Wednesday entailed turning the department into a smaller, cultural commission by moving housing and community development functions.

Keeping the department intact, while consolidating some administrative functions, may result in savings of more than $440,000, without any relocation and other transition expenses.

Department officials also stressed the impact of any changes needed to be examined further.

Earlier this year, Utah Governor Gary Herbert announced a new multicultural commission would take over most of the functions of the department’s Office of Ethnic Affairs, which saw its budget slashed to $250,000 last session.

(AUSTIN, Texas)-A member of a polygamist group is appealing his conviction in Texas on child sex abuse charges, citing jurisdiction issues.

A lawyer for Raymond Merrill Jessop asked the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin to overturn his conviction and 10-year sentence Wednesday.

Jessop was the first member of a polygamous sect which had an Eldorado, Texas-based compound to be tried after Texas Rangers led a 2008 raid at the group’s Yearning for Zion ranch.

In 2009, Jessop was convicted of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl who gave birth to his daughter.

The Austin American-Statesmen reports that Jessop’s attorney, Clinton Broden, argued prosecutors never proved the sexual encounter occurred in Texas.

Texas State Attorney Edward J. Marshall said jurors heard sufficient evidence to convict Jessop.

(WASHINGTON)-The Associated Press reports the Food and Drug Administration says the deadly listeria outbreak which emanated from cantaloupe at a Colorado farm was probably caused by pools of water on the floor as well as old, hard-to-clean packing equipment.

Wednesday, the agency stated contamination at the Jensen Farms facility of Holly, Colo., is the likely impetus for an outbreak that killed 25 people in a dozen states.

Investigators found positive listeria samples on equipment and fruit at the facility while the FDA said the way cantaloupes were cooled off after coming off the fields may have also contributed to listeria growth.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the outbreak sickened 123 people.

(TRIPOLI)-The Associated Press reports ousted Libyan leader Mommar Gadhafi was killed by rebel fighters Thursday morning in his hometown of Sirte, Libya, according to reports emanating from numerous sources.

The AP stated the Misrata Military Council, one of multiple command groups for revolutionary forces, said its fighters captured Gadhafi in Sirte.

Libya’s prime minster Mahmoud Jibril confirmed Gadahfi’s death while leaders in the North African country have informed the U.S. of the kill, the AP stated.

A cellphone photo published by The Associated Foreign Press depicts what is believed to be a seriously injured and bloodied Gadhafi although the identity of the main picture has yet to be confirmed.

Speaking from London, Libyan political activist Guma El-Gamaty stated Gadhafi was captured in or near a Sirte building which was still under loyalist control at the time.

El-Gamaty stated his belief that Gadhafi was inside a building that was stormed by freedom fighters and he was injured from the fire fight.

Gadhafi was later determined dead from head wounds while en route to Misrata, El-Gamaty said, while several previous reports from members of Gadhafi’s family said other accounts of his death have since been proven false.

Gadhafi had ruled Libya for more than 42 years following a successful military coup in the Mediterranean nation.

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports fire crews are planning to ignite three prescribed burns on the Coconino (Ariz.) National Forest Thursday.

Information provided by the U.S. Forest Service asserts the burns are being conducted in hopes of improving the forest’s health while reducing future risks of catastrophic wildfire.

The two fires, the Hat Prairie Project, which will burn up to 490 acres east of U.S. Highway 180 near Flagstaff and west of the ski resort, the Arizona Snowbowl on Forest Road 191, and the APS Project, which will burn up to 400 acres northeast of Blue Ridge along Arizona S.R. 87 across from Little Bly Pit, will be prevented from nestling into communities due to prevailing southwest winds in the region, meteorologists say.

For more information, please visit www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino.

(ST. GEORGE)-Tuesday evening, Dixie State College crowned its homecoming queen for 2011 with senior Hayley Weaver taking the title as part of homecoming festivities at the institution.

Weaver is an integrated studies major from Vancouver, Wash. and won a full-tuition scholarship as well as an opportunity to represent DSC as she competes at the Miss Utah pageant next June for a chance to advance to the Miss America pageant.

Weaver’s platform was music instruction in early childhood development and primary education while she chose to sing famed Adele song “Someone Like You,” for her talent.

Pageant hopefuls were judged in various categories, such as physical fitness/swimwear, evening wear and numerous talent areas, such as singing, playing the piano or dancing.

Joining Weaver in the DSC royalty are first attendant Kylee Morrison, a communication major from Oakley, Idaho and second attendant Sunny Christensen, a marketing major from Salem, Nev.

The third attendant is Carlie Brotherson, a nursing major from Mt. Pleasant, and Jayce Jolley, a general education major from Ivins rounds out the royalty as the fourth attendant.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)-Brady Wheeler threw touchdown passes to Aaron Lee and Brendon Anderson and the North Sanpete Hawks outgunned the Juab Wasps, 36-29 Wednesday in Region 12 football action. Cameron Sego added a pair of scoring runs for the Hawks and Jake Bailey stepped up with a 10-yard fumble recovery for another North Sanpete touchdown. Joel Allred returned a kickoff and interception for touchdowns for the Wasps in the loss while Cole Wright and Dalton Harmon also scored touchdowns for Juab in defeat.

PAYSON, Utah (AP)-Kaydon Hughes ran for three touchdowns and Ezra Seui added two more scoring runs as the Delta Rabbits pounded the Payson Lions, 40-7 in Region 12 football action Wednesday.

(ST. GEORGE) – A former St. George police officer was found guilty Tuesday of violating a victim’s constitutional rights in an incident that occurred in 2006. According to court documents, Officer Jared Taylor found a cellphone at a local Pizza Hut and waited for Mark Plascencia, a South American native, to call the phone. Officer Taylor told Plascencia, a naturalized U.S. citizen, to meet him at the restaurant, where the officer arrested him. Plascencia sued Taylor in federal court in January 2007, claiming the officer violated his Fourth Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable seizures and excessive force. A federal jury sided with Plascencia in a five-day trial in U.S. District Court and awarded him $5,000 of the $1 million he was seeking.

(OGDEN) – A body has been found in the investigation of a missing Ogden teen in Morgan County. Officers announced today that a shallow gravesite was discovered in Morgan County but would not say if the body found was that of missing teenager Alexis Rasmussen. Investigators said an anonymous tip led officers to a rural location where the remains were located. The scene is still under active investigation. Rasmussen went missing on Sept. 10 after babysitting for two people who were recently arrested on various drug charges unrelated to the case. Several area agencies have been helping in the search of Rasmussen.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Candidates seeking political offices in the state are rushing to pick districts now that new redistricting maps have been completed. Rep. Jason Chaffetz said his old 3rd congressional district is about 75% changed and includes five new rural counties and his Alpine residence. Chaffetz said he’ll seek re-election in the 3rd District, even if Rep. Jim Matheson runs against him. Matheson recently said he has several options on the table, including a run for governor, the new 4th Congressional District and a possible run against Sen. Orrin Hatch. Lawmakers say congressional candidates only have to live in the state they seek to represent, not the district.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A 2012 Utah calendar showcasing photos of some of the state’s most spectacular scenery, many taken with the expertise of geologists, is now available with unprecedented popularity.

Vicky Clarke, the publications manger for the survey concerning the calendar, said last year 3,500 calendars were printed and the state’s supply ran out while about 50 of them are distributed to Utah military members serving on assignment.

Already this year, 4,000 copies have been produced.

Many photos depict images of Utah which are off-the-beaten path including the Little Grand Canyon and Rimrocks among others.

All photos are taken by survey employees, with more than 300 submitted for consideration, while among those, 33 were selected.

The 2012 Calendar of Utah Geology is available for $4.95 at the Natural Resources Map & Bookstore in Salt Lake City or by calling 1-888-UTAHMAP.

They may also be purchased online at www.mapstore.utah.gov.

(JACKSON HOLE, Wyo.)-ABC4 in Salt Lake City reports a Utah man was recovered after being lost and stranded in a Wyoming cave for 36 hours.

Teton County (Wyo.) authorities stated three men became lost while rappelling inside a wind cave near Jackson Hole, Wyo.

The men’s families reported them as missing and Wyoming rescuers were able to locate them Monday.

Rescuers reported the men were hungry and tired, but none of them required medical attention.

(MIDWAY)-In advocating for legislation in the vein of Holden Representative Bill Wright’s law, Utah U.S. Senator Mike Lee has introduced a bill known as the DASH Act, or the Dairy and Sheep H2A, which is aiming to fix the problem immigrant workers have by extending the amount of time temporary foreign laborers may stay in the U.S. on a visa.

Lee’s bill consists of language which only allows a stay to be seasonal and revisions would allow guest workers to ensue in their employment on a dairy farm or as a herder for three years.

During a teleconference emanating from Washington Tuesday, Lee stated the fix is simple for a large problem which is threatening to negatively effect agriculture in the U.S.

The Food and Agriculture Policy Institute at College Station, Texas-based Texas A&M University has been urging revisions, saying the program is not working as was intended while fewer than 5 percent of U.S. farms are using the H2A program.

Lee clarified that what his bill would not do is establish a legal path to citizenship and a renewal would be required.

(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.)-KOB-TV, Channel 4 in Albuquerque, N.M. reports Hydro Resources Inc. is one step closer to beginning its uranium mining operations in western New Mexico.

The Sugarland, Texas-based company says the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has reactivated its license for in-situ leach mining on 10 claims near Churchrock, N.M.

The distinctive process entails the injection of chemicals into the ground to release uranium.

Environmentalists and certain residents of the neighboring Navajo reservation have been critical of the proposal while a spokesman for Hydro Resources’ parent firm, Uranium Resources Inc. of Lewisville, Texas, says the license is an important step, but the company still needs approval from the state’s Environment Department.

The company is also conducting a feasibility study.

Spokesman Mat Lueras stated Hydro Resources is aiming to be in production as of 2013.

(YUMA, Ariz.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports business, civic and religious group leaders have rescheduled a conference in Yuma, Ariz. to examine alternatives for confronting Arizona’s immigration problems.

The conference will occur November 12 at Arizona Western College in the border city.

Organizers had previously scheduled the event at an earlier date, but were forced to cancel because they were unable to sell enough tickets.

This gathering is the last in a series of conferences that businesses, civic leaders and religious groups across Arizona conducted to examine alternatives for confronting the state’s immigration woes.

The purpose of the meeting is to examine the impact of the state’s immigration laws on communities and businesses throughout Arizona.

Organizers say the state’s current immigration approach isn’t working and alternatives need to be considered.

(ST. GEORGE)-Four Washington County residents will be inducted into the Dixie State College Hall of Fame this upcoming Saturday during a special ceremony at the St. George Tabernacle in the downtown sector of the city.

The 13th annual Hall of Fame induction will occur in conjunction with the Homecoming Founder’s Day Assembly as part of this weekend’s Homecoming festivities at the institution.

Those to be inducted include Dr. Norman H. Fawson, a longtime St. George and Ogden doctor who has served as Deputy Utah State Medical Examiner and doubles as a prolific musician who can play a wide array of instruments.

In the athletics department, Richard Lee Hafen will be inducted. Another longtime St. George resident, Hafen quarterbacked the Dixie High Flyers to a 1957 state championship in football and played both quarterback and point guard for the then-Dixie College Rebels.

Additionally, Hafen served his country in the Vietnam War and has worked within the Clark County (Nev.) juvenile justice system at Las Vegas and retired after 31 years of service in 1999.

In the area of Public and College Service, Jeannine H. Holt will be inducted. Holt has served a distinguished career in politics having worked for the U.S. Senate under Utah Senator Orrin Hatch for 27 years and has long been an advocate for the rights of southern Utah residents.

Finally, in education, H. Loraine Woodbury will be inducted and after serving in the military from 1942 to 1945, he taught in biological science and served as the department’s head at Dixie College.

Additionally, Woodbury assisted in organizing and developing the present-day campus and earned the Distinguished Service award at the annual Dixie College D-Day banquet in 1992.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony began in 1998 and the original class featured 18 charter members while this year’s inductees will have their pictures posted on the Wall of Fame located in the Avenna Center on the campus.

(ST. GEORGE)-Tuesday, Utah Governor Gary Herbert made a cameo at the Dixie State College campus in St. George to visit with students at the college’s criminal justice department.

Additionally, he toured the Southwest Regional Computer Crime Institute and took a glance at the ongoing construction of the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons building.

While on campus, Herbert also discussed his long-term action plan for Utah, “Prosperity 2020,” an initiative to enhance the state’s educational performance by calling for at least 66 percent of Utahns between the age of 20 and 64 to obtain a post-secondary degree or a skill trade certificate by the year 2020 and beyond to meet the state’s future workforce needs.

Herbert lauded the efforts of DSC students and reminded them that the changing job market demands a highly educated workforce to compete in the present global economy, comments he echoed last October when vying for the state’s governorship at the Snow College Ephraim campus.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The Occupy Wall Street movement has congressional leaders talking about the results of protester’s anger against the disparity of wealth in the country. In a radio teleconference, Sen. Mike Lee said the occupiers have a fundamental right to peacefully speak out against the government or any other entity. Sen. Orrin Hatch said the anger of the protesters may escalate to riots in New York City and other areas around the country. Sen. Lee commented that he hasn’t seen any violence in the movement.

(CEDAR CITY) – The BLM Color Country District is in the middle of its vegetation enhancement program to treat about 2,000 acres south of Panguitch. Officials say the project is being implemented in an area three miles south of Panguitch and west of U.S. 89 in Garfield County. The project is designed to improve watershed conditions, enhance crucial mule deer winter range, elk, pronghorn and sage grouse habitat, in addition to reducing hazardous fuels for enhanced community wildlife protection. Officials say that dense vegetation will be mechanically thinned to remove encroaching pinyon and juniper trees. The project should be completed by April, 2012.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Planning Commission has approved a Conditional Use Permit for SUFCO Mine to construct a coal storage yard in Salina. At last week’s meeting, Planners discussed SUFCO’s application of their air quality permit, a fence around the containment area, a separate gate for an emergency exit, coal dust control, parking stalls, set backs, design and construction of roads at the site, lighting and a reclamation bond. The CUP was approved pending the company meeting all county, state and federal code requirements.

(NEPHI) – Juab County Commissioners have approved the abandonment of a county road that serves no purpose for development to the county. Clerk records said that Commissioners met in a meeting Monday morning to discuss six acres that were given to the county as part of a realignment of SR-132 back in the 1930’s. Commissioners said the county has no plans to develop the acreage and voted to sell the property to the LDS Church. Staffers said the Church owns property surrounding the six acres and would most likely use the property for their own benefit. Also at the meeting, Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Manti-LaSal National Forest to agree to share facilities when needed. Commissioners also signed a contract with the state to fund $5,000 for predator control in return for $2,000 from the state.

(PRICE)-USU Eastern of Price, formerly known as The College of Eastern Utah, received 25 acres of land to expand its campus from a secret donor, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

The undeveloped land is within walking distance of the campus and is expected to enhance energy research studies which are relevant to the local coal-based economy, stated campus chancellor Joe Peterson.

Additionally, the city of Price has begun cutting in a two-mile network of roads to serve the future USU Energy and Research Park, which will front the east side of Cedar Hills Drive on campus.

The raw land was appraised for about $1.5 million, but with the city-built infrastructure, the value of the gift exceeds $4 million, according to the city’s community director, Nick Tatton.

The city of Price is constructing a connector, known as Research Way, through the property between Homestead and Airport roads while the parcel is just east and south of Carbon High School.

Officials have no specific plans in mind yet and at this stage, are not yet ready to identify any future partners, other than the city.

(GOLDEN, Colo.)-Monday afternoon, Utah Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell shared Utah’s efforts to develop its oil shale reserves along with other topics at the 31st annual Oil Shale Symposium at the Golden, Colo.-based Colorado School of Mines and the Center for Oil Shale Technology.

Bell stated that both he and Utah Governor Gary Herbert have made energy development one of the “four corners” of their administration and called it essential to Utah’s ongoing economic recovery and hopefully, eventual prosperity.

Staff from the Utah Office of Energy Development also took part, addressing Herbert’s 10-year Strategic Energy Plan and Utah’s oil shale reserves.

Individual sessions at the symposium were expected to review development of oil shale resources throughout the world including research and development, environmental impacts, regulations and both current and future projects.

Attendees at the conference represented the U.S., Canada, Europe and the Middle East.

(KANAB)-Friday evening, a crash involving two vehicles killed three people in the Kanab area, ABC4 in Salt Lake City reports.

Jesse Valenzuela of the Utah Highway Patrol reported the accident occurred at milepost 68 on U.S. Highway 89 while UHP stated it appeared a southbound vehicle crossed a northbound lane, striking a vehicle head-on.

A second northbound vehicle, unable to avoid the first vehicle, struck the rear of the first vehicle.

Two victims in one vehicle and another in a second vehicle were killed while the identity of the victims was not immediately released, pending family notification.

(PHOENIX)-This past weekend, Phoenix Police asserted their authority by meting out arrests during an anti-Wall Street protest in the Arizonan capital city.

On the scene, reporters and protesters saw an estimated 40 people detained around 12:00 a.m. MST (Arizona Time) Saturday at Margaret T. Hance Park just north of downtown Phoenix.

Officers there declined comment and official spokesmen did not immediately return calls.

About 100 helmeted officers, many wielding batons, formed a line around 11:00 p.m. MST Saturday, ordering protesters to vacate the premises.

A core group of protesters resisted this and instead sat on the ground while being slowly escorted away by police to waiting paddy wagons.

The urban newspaper, Downtown Devil, published by the downtown Phoenix campus of Tempe, Ariz.-based Arizona State University, reported police left the area around 1:30 a.m. MST Sunday morning.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A legislative audit of Utah’s liquor agency is expected to confirm a pattern of mismanagement and additional ethnic problems.

The audit is to be released Tuesday afternoon during a legislative subcommittee, The Associated Press reports.

Interim Executive Director Francine Giani has said the audit will likely expose long-term practices at the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control that violate state law.

Giani took control of the DABC in August after former executive director Dennis Kellen resigned amid allegations that a company owned by his son had been paid by the DABC more than $250,000 over three years of maintenance supplies.

Kellen disclosed the conflict publicly while serving as director and his son maintained the contracts were legal.

Previous audits had detailed mismanagement resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

(SIGURD) – Utah Highway Patrol troopers are searching for suspects who hit another vehicle on SR-118 south of Sigurd late Saturday night and fled the scene. According to a UHP report, 20-year old Ryan Frandsen of Monroe was traveling southbound in a 2008 Chevy Impala, when a dark-colored vehicle came off a back road about two miles south of Sigurd and clipped his rear passenger door. UHP said the vehicle failed to stop and the suspects took off at about 10:15pm. Frandsen was wearing his seat belt and was not taken to the hospital.

(PHOENIX)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports 2012 GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain has indicated his controversial proposal for constructing an electric fence along the Mexican border is still on the table.

During an evening news conference with Maricopa County (Ariz.) Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Cain apologized when first asked about comments he made this past weekend concerning an electric fence that would kill people attempting to enter the country illegally.

Cain emphasized he was merely making a joke and apologized if he had offended anyone.

Later on in the news conference, Cain confirmed he had taken ownership of the comment even though there had been previous contradictory statements on the matter.

However, Cain said he would not apologize for proposing a combination of tactics to crack down on illegal immigration.

(ST. GEORGE)-The 24-year-old Daphne S. Alldredge of St. George was arrested and charged with 911 abuse, disorderly conduct and making a false 911 emergency call Monday evening.

The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. MDT when the St. George Police emergency dispatch received a 911 call from a female caller concerning three individuals who had reportedly been shot in a shed in the backyard of a residence in downtown St. George by an unknown assailant.

Upon arrival at the scene, police determined the report was false and no one had been injured.

Because of the supposed emergency nature of the information received, authorities used emergency lights and a siren while the residence was secured by officers around its perimeter.

Contact was then made with residents of the home where the call originated from and indicated no one was injured and no crime had occurred.

The occupants of the home were taken outside and were all accounted for, including Alldredge while police found all therein to be in safe condition and bereft of injury.

No weapons were involved and no gunshots were fired, officers stated.

Officers then cleared the shed and the house finding no evidence of criminal activity while family members indicated the female may be under the influence of a controlled substance, causing her mental condition to suffer.

Alldredge was then arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail for all charges previously mentioned and bail has been set at $1,500.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Leaders from four Western states will meet in Utah Oct. 26 for a summit on the value of immigrants and immigration to the nation. The summit will include several presenters from Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho, including Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, The Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of the Catholic Doicese of Salt Lake City and representatives of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce. Attorneys with the Department of Justice also plan to visit Utah to further review the state’s illegal immigration enforcement law, which is the subject of a legal challenge by civil rights organizations. The summit will be held Oct. 26 from 10am to 4pm at the City Center Marriot in Salt Lake City.

(ST. GEORGE) – A St. George businessman accused of defrauding online consumers has filed a lawsuit seeking monetary damages stemming from a September auction of his assets. On Friday, Jeremy Johnson filed the suit in 5th District Court, just hours before a Las Vegas judge denied his request to halt the further sale of his company’s property and return items already sold at auction. The assets have been held by a receiver appointed as part of a civil lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission against Johnson. More than 200 items were sold Sept. 24 to cover the mounting debts of the 35-year old businessman, whom the feds have accused of running a $350-million fraud scheme through his company, iWorks. Johnson is suing the California-based receiver, Robb Evans and Associates and Statewide Auction Co., which presided over the auction.

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters’ line of Navajo-branded clothing and accessories has set off a firestorm online and within the Navajo Nation’s government.

Allegations of trademarked violations and criticisms of the products, particularly women’s underwear and a liquor flask that many tribal members consider disrespectful.

The Navajo government’s issue with the clothier primarily lies in the clothing chain’s use of the name “Navajo” on its products and marketing.

The tribe possesses at least 10 trademarks on the name that cover clothing, footwear, online retail sales, household products and textiles.

The tribe’s Department of Justice sent Urban Outfitters CEO Glen Senk a cease-and-desist letter last June, demanding the company pull the Navajo name from its products.

Urban Outfitters says it has no plans to alter its products.

(CENTERFIELD) – The Gunnison police chief sustained minor head injuries Friday afternoon in a collision with an elderly Centerfield woman. Police said 75-year old Norma Funk had slowed at 400 North Main Street to make a left-hand turn in her 2004 Ford Taurus, when she failed to see the police chief’s 2006 Ford Explorer and slammed into the driver’s side door at about 12:30pm. The impact sent the cruiser through a portable sign at the Tip Top Club in Centerfield and onto the lawn. The report said Chief Trent Halliday received a minor head injury and drove himself to the Gunnison Valley Hospital for treatment. Funk was not injured in the accident and she was not cited. The accident totaled the police cruiser.

(REDMOND) – The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a report of a stolen vehicle in Redmond that was found abandoned on Hwy 6 near Delta. A sheriff’s report said that a 2001 silver Honda Civic had been in the driveway of a home at 100 West 179 North in Redmond on Thursday and was taken sometime during the day. The sheriff’s office said the call came in at about 1:30pm Thursday and found the car abandoned near Delta the same day. Investigators have interviewed a suspect but no arrests have been made. Evidence discovered in the vehicle is still being processed and deputies are asking the public for information that may lead to an arrest in the theft.

(SIGURD) – A West Valley City motorcyclist was injured after hitting a deer on SR-24 east of Sigurd Thursday night. According to a UHP report, 49-year old Arthur Poole was riding westbound on a 1982 YMCL motorcycle, when he struck a deer in the road at about 7:30pm. UHP said Poole was thrown from his bike and sustained head injuries. He was not wearing any safety equipment and was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield for treatment.

EPHRAIM, Utah (AP)-Ali Rosequist and Cozette Gordillo had two goals apiece and Kelsie George also scored as the Manti Lady Templars bested the Parowan Lady Rams, 5-1 Saturday in the 2A girls soccer quarterfinals. The Lady Templars will next face St. Joseph in the semifinals Friday October 21 at 1:15 p.m. at Jordan High School in Sandy.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Denise Crabb, Kenlie Lemon, Keri Brunson and Shelby Sheriff each scored and the Millard Lady Eagles doubled up the Rowland Hall/St. Mark’s Lady Winged Lions, 4-2 in the 2A girls soccer quarterfinals Saturday. The Lady Eagles next meet Wateford Friday October 21 at 11:00 a.m. at Jordan High School.

OGDEN, Utah (AP)-Jane Porter posted two goals and Breanne Demar posted a shutout as the St. Joseph Lady Jayhawks routed the Richfield Lady Wildcats, 7-0 Saturday in the 2A girls soccer quarterfinals.

SANDY, Utah (AP)-Caroline Coats and Jamie Duke had two goals apiece and the Waterford Lady Ravens blanked the Grand Lady Red Devils, 6-0 in the 2A girls soccer quarterfinals Saturday.

DRAPER, Utah (AP)-Emily Bruder amassed four goals and Melanie Mecham earned a shutout as the Juan Diego Lady Soaring Eagle pummeled the Delta Lady Rabbits, 8-0 Saturday in the 3A girls soccer quarterfinals.

MANTI, Utah (AP)-Trey Gunderson hauled in a 13-yard touchdown pass in the closing seconds and the Manti Templars outlasted the Millard Eagles, 20-14 Friday to win the 2A North region title. Brady Aste ran for 147 yards on 15 carries as well for the Templars, while Zane Stevens and Kyle Larsen ran for touchdowns in the win for Manti. Pancho Alcala ran for a score and caught a scoring pass in the loss for the Eagles.

DELTA, Utah (AP)-Colin Christensen tossed a pair of touchdown passes and added a 23-yard field goal as the Delta Rabbits bested the North Sanpete Hawks, 15-7 Friday in Region 12 football action. Cameron Sego had a 1-yard touchdown run in defeat for the Hawks.

SALINA, Utah (AP)-Briggs Fulton and Josh Silva each had scoring runs and the American Leadership Eagles dismantled the North Sevier Wolves, 19-6 Friday in 2A North football action. Cory Johnson had a 2-yard scoring run in defeat for the Wolves.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)-Matt Rydalch threw two scoring passes and ran for another while Porter Santos had a 62-yard scoring reception and a 21-yard touchdown run as the South Summit Wildcats stymied the Gunnison Bulldogs, 49-23 in 2A North football action Friday. Rylan Anderson threw two touchdown passes in defeat for the Bulldogs and Braden Harris added a 4-yard touchdown run for Gunnison.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)-Jeremy Brown caught a pair of scoring passes and added two more touchdown runs as the Beaver Beavers pummeled the Kanab Cowboys, 38-0 Friday in 2A South football action.Tyler Roberts added a 33-yard field goal for Beaver in the win.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Josh Henry ran for four touchdowns while Braden Hampton added a 2-yard scoring run as the Richfield Wildcats steamrolled the South Sevier Rams, 37-20 Friday in 2A South football action.

PRICE, Utah (AP)-Spencer MacPhearson threw two touchdown passes and Dalton Harmon tossed another as the Juab Wasps got past the Carbon Dinos, 31-21 Friday in Region 12 football action.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Utah Supreme Court has issued sanctions of two rural justice court judges. According to the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission’s annual report for fiscal year 2011, former Fillmore and Millard County Justice Court Judge Ronald Hare, resigned and agreed to never hold office again, after being arrested in April for exposing himself in a public restroom. He entered a plea in abeyance to disorderly conduct and was issued a censure. The report also said that Parowan Justice Court Judge Kenneth Adams was reprimanded in December 2010, after it was revealed that the judge was overseeing cases involving citations written by his son-in-law, who is Parowan’s police chief. The record stated that Judge Adams participated in court proceedings for 36 citations written by his relative, without disqualifying himself.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Mike Lee has introduced a bill to help dairy and ranch owners maintain the foreign workers they need to keep their businesses operating year-round. Lee said his Dairy and Sheep H2-A Act would allow dairy workers and sheep and goat herders to apply for a year-round visa program, without creating a legal path to citizenship. Currently, temporary farm workers are only able to obtain seasonal visas. Lee said few Americans are willing to work in many seasonal jobs and outdated visa laws prevent businesses from attracting temporary foreign workers to fill the shortage. He said the DASH Act streamlines the system to identify, process and oversee temporary workers coming to America to do agriculture work. Under the legislation, visas for such workers would be granted for three years and can be renewed each year, without workers having to return to their own countries.

(BEAVER) – Gov. Gary Herbert is wrapping his rural Utah trip today with stops in Beaver and Milford. Herbert has been traveling through rural Utah this past week to gain insight as to why jobs are not growing in smaller communities in comparison with the Wasatch Front. He’s been meeting with business leaders, political officials and others on his “listening tour” throughout rural Utah. Herbert said businessmen in smaller communities face obstacles that metropolitan businessmen don’t. He commented rural businessmen will need to “think outside the box” in doing business in a global world, through the use of online services, Internet sites and other new high-tech methods.

(SPANISH FORK CANYON)-U.S. Highway 6 through Spanish Fork Canyon between Spanish Fork and Price has been honored for its significant transformation which has helped preserve the lives of both humans and animals along its course.

Last month, the Exemplary Ecosystem Initiative Award was granted to the highway for crossings which protect animals who traverse the highway as well as motorists who have found the new innovations to be effective.

While the crossings have proved expensive, Patricia C. Cramer, a research assistant professor at Utah State University has said she is pleased with the amount of lives that have been saved and hopes that plans will soon be underway for more crossings to be constructed.

(PROVO)-A man convicted for voyeurism after being charged with possession of child pornography has been given a sentence attorneys are calling “unusual.”

According to a report from KUTV-TV, Channel 2 in Salt Lake City, he will go to jail in monthly increments for the next three years.

At Utah County Court in Provo, Judge Lynn Davis opted to sentence 46-year-old Frederick Tompkins, a convicted voyeur, to jail for a month at a time throughout the next 36 months, a decision which will enable Tompkins to retain his job.

Back in May, Tompkins was arrested on charges of manufacturing child pornography while reports attest when deputies searched his home, they found nearly 12 images of child pornography on his computer.

In August, Tompkins was convicted of five counts of voyeurism, each of which are second-degree felonies.

Defense Attorney Greg Weight stated he is pleased with the sentencing and this setup for Tompkins to go to jail while still having his job is “fair.”

Furthermore, Davis commanded Tompkins to refrain from alcohol and pornography in any form for the duration of his 3-year probation.

Tompkins is also required to register on the sex offender registry for the next 10 years.

Thursday, attorneys stated the Utah County Jail had already emailed the court clerk back, saying the jail could not accommodate this type of sentencing.

The case has been scheduled in court for October 19 to make any changes to the sentence.

(WEST MIFFLIN, Pa.)-The Associated Press reports 2012 GOP presidential candidate, Texas Governor Rick Perry, stated his plan to expand domestic energy production could bring more than a million new jobs to U.S. soil.

Perry’s proposal was released Friday and would reportedly open up federal lands, including Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, for energy production.

Perry has also said regulation has crippled jobs and is promising to eliminate such hurdles.

Perry’s address comes at a crucial time in his campaign as he attempts to move beyond some early bumps while revitalizing his momentum.

Perry is hoping his treatise at a Pittsburgh-area steel plant will help to suppress some of the existing jitters potential supporters have with his policies.

(MENDOTA, Calif.)-The cantaloupe listeria outbreak which was traced to southeastern Colorado last month proved to damage even the “cantaloupe center of the world, Mendota, Calif., The Associated Press reported.

Rodney Van Bebber, the sales manager of Mendota-based Pappas Produce Company, said the fruit cannot be sold and retailers are taking cantaloupes off the shelves and growers are disking in the fruit since consumers are afraid to eat them.

At the time of the outbreak, federal officials swiftly isolated the contamination to Jensen Farms of Holly, Colo. which recalled its cantaloupes in mid-September.

It is believed these tainted melons should be out of stores by now as they usually have a shelf life of two weeks.

However, the number of deaths involved with this outbreak continues to percolate as listeria’s symptoms can take up to two months to appear.

As of Wednesday, the outbreak had been linked to 23 deaths and 116 sicknesses, making it the deadliest known outbreak of foodborne illness in the U.S. in more than 25 years.

The Food and Drug Administration is still investigating the cause of this outbreak and officials have stated they are looking at Jensen Farms’ water supply and possible animal intrusions, among other things.

(DUCHESNE)-Thursday, the defense attorney for a Duchesne man accused of killing his wife has asked for an evaluation of his client’s mental competency.

Charles Edward Dodd appeared in 8th District Court for a preliminary hearing on one count of murder, a first-degree felony.

His attorney, Bill Morrison, asked Judge Lyle Anderson to postpone this hearing, however.

Morrison also wants Dodd to undergo testing to determine whether the 75-year-old understands charges imposed against him and is capable of aiding in his own defense.

Meanwhile, Duchesne County Attorney Stephen Foote did not object to the delay while Anderson agreed to order the competency evaluation.

Dodd has been accused of the fatal stabbing of his wife, the 82-year-old Mary W. Ratliffe.

Duchesne County Sheriff’s deputies were first contacted August 13 by a friend of the couple who said Dodd had left a pair of envelopes at her office containing $7,000 in cash and two notes indicating he had intended to kill himself and his wife.

The other note confirmed Dodd worried someone would take his wife away from him because of a recent injury to his head while the acquaintance who had contacted deputies said Dodd had recently been going through a depression and stated the end would come, court documents confirmed.

Deputies went to the trailer home Dodd and Ratliffe were sharing and they discovered an unresponsive Dodd in a chair in the front room, with blood emerging from a puncture wound to his chest.

In a bedroom, they found Ratliffe stabbed to death in a bed with a small hunting knife found close to the bed, investigators confirmed.

Investigators stated Dodd had stabbed Ratliffe multiple times in the chest and then washed down a significant amount of prescription pills with a tumbler full of alcohol, put a knife to his own chest and leaned against the wall to take his own life, according to court records.

Dodd remains detained in the Duchesne County Jail and his next court appearance is slated for November 10.

(HIGHLAND)-The Associated Press reports federal indictments have been issued against a Highland couple accused of using false bids to secure inflated loans for million-dollar homes.

Prosecutors claim the couple purchased high-end homes but would then use straw buyers to falsely raise the purchase price and receive larger mortgages.

The 40-year-old Portia R. Louder has been charged with three counts of false statements to financial institutions, three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

Meanwhile, her 41-year-old husband, Chris Louder, has been charged with two counts of false statements to financial institutions.

If they are convicted of all charges, the couple could spend up to decades in prison.

Late Thursday, Portia Louder told the AP she has hired an attorney and would fight all charges against her while they will seek a speedy trial as the investigation has ensued for five years.

She said the couple has sought to convince the government that no case exists because everything they did is “above board.”

(LAS VEGAS)-St. George businessman Jeremy Johnson, the long-time CEO of fraudulent company iWorks, located in the city, hopes his emergency motions will be heard which asked the court to stay the sale while returning property and assets when he appears in court for a hearing Friday afternoon in Las Vegas.

The Federal Trade Commission filed seven motions against Johnson Wednesday in this case presided over by senior Nevada District Judge Roger L. Hunt.

Johnson is presently free on a $2.8 million-property and surety bond and is restricted from any travel outside of Utah, save for court appearances in Las Vegas, is continuing to advocate for an opportunity to tell his side of the story about iWorks in an effort to clear his name and those of his co-defendants.

Johnson has denounced the FTC repeatedly, saying the entity goes to companies with a predetermined outcome in mind while ignoring evidence which “clearly vindicates” his company in the eyes of the law.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Salt Lake City police say a woman reported missing may be headed to Moab. Police recently received information that indicated 58-year old Diane Myers of SLC left the area on her own accord. Authorities said Myers was last seen leaving work at Walmart at 1300 South 300 West in Salt Lake on Saturday and never returned home. Reports said Myers was at work only a half hour. Detectives received information today from witnesses, who had contact with Myers, that she was on her way to Moab. Investigators are still pursuing the woman.

(DELTA) – Millard County Sheriff’s deputies investigated a case of credit theft after a Delta resident reported an acquaintance had used her credit card without permission. The victim said the person paid for personal expenses, as well as paying for an Internet dating site. A sheriff’s report said that late in the afternoon on Oct. 6, deputies arrested 39-year old Larry Waller of Delta, for credit card theft. An agent from the Utah Adult Probation and Parole assisted in the arrest and booked Waller into the Millard County Jail on charges of Unauthorized Possession of a Financial Transaction Card and Credit Card Fraud.

(PROVO) – A Delta man was arrested last Thursday for attempting to disarm a peace officer after being transported to the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. According to a Millard County Sheriff’s report, the man was driven from the Delta Community Medical Center to the Behavioral Medicine Unit at the Provo hospital and while walking down a hallway with a deputy, he grabbed the officer’s gun and attempted to remove it from its holster. During the struggle, a security guard from the hospital tasered the man. The deputy sustained scrapes and bruises in the scuffle. Provo City officers arrested the man for Attempting to Disarm a Peace Officer and Assault on a Peace Officer with Injury. He was booked into the Utah County Jail in Spanish Fork.

(CARSON CITY, Nev.)-In a play for New Hampshire votes, 2012 GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman Jr. made a Thursday statement, saying he plans to boycott the Nevada presidential caucuses unless the state backs off in its attempt to move its contest to early January.

Huntsman has made winning New Hampshire the focal point of his bid for the White House and the move is an attempt to curry favor with voters there who place significant value on conducting the nation’s first presidential primary.

After Florida bumped up its primary to January 31 and South Carolina eclipsed this by going with a January 21 primary, Nevada said it would follow the trend by placing its primary on January 14.

This has caused New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, who by state law must set its primary one week before another “similar contest,” said he may be forced to move the state’s balloting, which has yet to be determined, to December 6 or 13.

The campaign of fellow GOP candidate Mitt Romney has neither confirmed nor denied a report that it was involved in pushing the Nevada caucuses, the New York Times reports.

Huntsman has now made his primary strategy winning New Hampshire in hopes the momentum he obtains will help him win other state primaries.

(BLANDING)-Wednesday, while visiting with students at San Juan High School during his weeklong tour of rural areas in Utah, Governor Gary Herbert spoke to high schoolers in a message broadcast statewide.

Herbert’s statements echoed discussions lawmakers and higher education officials have had over the course of the past year with research depicting a significantly-changing job landscape that will necessitate more associates, bachelor’s and master degrees.

Wednesday’s message was broadcast via the Utah Education Network and commemorated the first time in state history, a live gubernatorial speech directed at adolescents occurred.

Via Web streaming, The Deseret News reports 110 schools throughout the state participated.

Herbert stated that the digital age and changing market job demand a highly-educated workforce be in place if the U.S. is to compete, echoing statements he made last fall at the Snow College Ephraim campus prior to his election against Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon.

Herbert addressed numerous questions students had on topics such as concurrent enrollment, funding, high school counseling, and lessons he learned during his own high school days, all while continually stressing the importance of education.

(WASHINGTON)-A 47-year-old Syrian-born naturalized American has been charged for his alleged role in spying on Syrian-born protesters in the U.S., the Justice Department stated Wednesday.

Leesburg, Va. resident Mohamad Anas Haitham Soueid has been charged in a conspiracy to collect video and audio recordings as well as other information concerning people in “the U.S. and Syria” who were protesting the regime in Damascus and to provide these materials to Syrian intelligence agencies in order to silence, intimidate, and potentially harm protesters.

On October 5, a federal jury charged Soueid in a six-count indictment to the Eastern District of Virginia and he was arrested Tuesday.

He was slated to make his initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate Wednesday afternoon.

Soueid is being charged with conspiring to act and acting as an agent of the Syrian government on U.S. soil without notifying the attorney general as required by law, two counts of providing false statements on a firearms purchase form as well as a pair of counts of providing false statements to federal law enforcement, the Justice Department confirmed.

The indictment more fully attests Soueid has been an agent of the Syrian Mukhabarat, a reference to Syrian intelligence agencies.

In late June, Damascus officials paid for Soueid to travel to Syria where he met with intelligence officials and privately spoke with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, the indictment stated.

The indictment also stated FBI agents interviewed Soueid and he has been accused of lying when he denied that he had collected information on U.S. persons and subsequently transmitted this information to the Syrian government.

Should Soueid be convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of up to 40 years in prison.

Soueid is also known as Anas Alswaid, according to a Justice Department statement.

The suit against Soueid was initially filed in May.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A Utah-based U.S. Air Force worker and a Florida couple are facing bribery and fraud charges in connection with an alleged scheme involving federal procurement contracts for foreign military materials.

Wednesday, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against the 49-year-old Jose Mendez of Farr West as well as 68-year-old Sylvester Zugrav and 66-year-old Maria Zugrav of Sarasota, Fla.

Mendez worked as a program manager for U.S. Air Force Foreign Materials Acquisition Support Office which buys foreign materials on behalf of its customers.

The Zugravs are the owners of University Park, Fla.-based Atlas International Corp., a vendor licensed to contract for the sale of foreign materials.

The couple and Mendez had expired to exchange money and other things of value for nonpublic information and favorable treatment in the procurement process, the indictment states.

The Zugravs allegedly offered Mendez more than $1.2 million in cash and other items of value between 2006 and 2011.

Payments were reportedly made via FedEx to Mendez’ home, both in person and via electronic wire transfers to a Mexico-based bank account in the name of Mendez’ cousin.

In exchange for the bribes, Mendez imparted favorable treatment to Atlas International during the procurement process, including the disclosure of government budget and competitor bid information, which helped the company win contracts, the indictment states.

Reportedly, Mendez and Sylvester Zugrav discussed offers and requests for bribes both in person and through e-mail exchanges.

They shielded their activity with covert email addresses, password-protected computer documents, code words and false names.

All parties in question are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and procurement fraud and one count of bribery.

Additionally, Mendez faces one count of procurement fraud for disclosing nonpublic information to a different vendor.

(HERRIMAN)-The federal government has reported it will shut down a frequently-criticized horse corral it operates within the next couple of years.

The Bureau of Land Management has stated it plans to move its wild horses out of the Butterfield Canyon facility near Herriman Wednesday, transporting 64 of them to a pasture near Gunnison where they will be put up for adoption.

At Mid-Utah Radio, we will try to have more information on when the adoption will occur, please visit our “Events” page to see if anything emerges on this front.

(EPHRAIM) – Enrollment numbers at Snow College in Ephraim and Richfield continue to grow. Communications Director Greg Dart said Snow posted the third highest full-time equivalent growth in the entire system. He said the enrollment numbers are behind Dixie State College and Utah Valley University but the growth shows that students are selecting Snow College over many other colleges and universities. The total headcount is 4,465 between the two campuses in Ephraim and Richfield and the college is growing twice as fast as other colleges in the system. Dart commented that Ephraim is prepared for the growth with a new 400-bed residential facility set to open in the fall 2012 semester and the Richfield campus is now home to three full-time general education faculty as well as many career and technical programs.

(WASHINGTON)-Arizona Senator John McCain, Utah Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee and U.S. Congressmen Trent Franks, Jeff Flake, Paul Gosar, David Schweikert and Ben Quayle of Arizona along with Rob Bishop of Utah introduced innovative legislation Wednesday.

Their legislation, the Northern Arizona Mining Community Act, will prevent the U.S. Department of the Interior from banning mining in a vast areas of the Arizona Strip, near Jacob Lake, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and Grand Canyon National Park.

In a recently drafted letter to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, several members of Congress protested his proposal to a $1-million withdrawal of mining rights.

The members stated this withdrawal had nothing to do with protecting the environment in the Grand Canyon area but is already ‘de facto’ wilderness for a region conservationists had previously agreed would remain accessible to the mining industry.

The act will, if it passes as law, uphold the historic agreement embodied by the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 which designated portions of the Arizona Strip as wilderness and restored other lands for the safe use of uranium mining.

After having Utahns and other Western U.S. residents resoundingly reject his policies during a previous trip into the region, Salazar appears intent on locking up whatsoever lands in the area he can in the name of the federal government, Lee said.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)-Grace Veghte had two goals while Jess Sterrett and Cari Sanyer each scored as the Rowland Hall/St. Mark’s Lady Winged Lions ended Gunnison’s season with a 4-1 win Wednesday in the 2A girls soccer playoffs. Sara Nilsson scored the sole goal for Gunnison in the loss.

LINDON, Utah (AP)-The Richfield Lady Wildcats ousted the Liahona Lady Warriors, 1-0 in the 2A girls soccer playoffs Wednesday. Richfield next faces St. Joseph Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

SANDY, Utah (AP)-Caroline Coats and Mitsu Miyashima had two goals apiece and the Waterford Ravens blanked the American Leadership Eagles, 5-0 Wednesday in the 2A girls soccer playoffs. Waterford will host Grand Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)-Tavia Rice scored the sole goal of the game as the Parowan Lady Rams advanced in the 2A girls soccer playoffs with a 1-0 win over Maeser Prep Wednesday. Makayla Frandsen earned the shutout for Parowan, who will next face Manti Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the quarterfinals. The game will occur at the soccer field near the Snow College tennis complex at the Ephraim Family Park.

DELTA, Utah (AP)-Hailee Holt amassed two goals and the Delta Lady Rabbits doubled up the Ben Lomond Lady Scots, 2-1 Wednesday in the 3A girls soccer playoffs. Delta will next face the Juan Diego Lady Soaring Eagle Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

OGDEN, Utah (AP)-Avery Calton amassed a hat trick and the Ogden Lady Tigers stormed past the Desert Hills Lady Thunder, 5-0 in the 3A girls soccer playoffs Wednesday. Ogden will next host Snow Canyon in the quarterfinals Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

DRAPER, Utah (AP)-Emily Bruder posted a hat trick and the Juan Diego Lady Soaring Eagle advanced in the 3A state girls soccer tournament with a 3-1 win over the Dixie Lady Flyers Wednesday.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)-Adrianne Beazer posted two goals and the Cedar Lady Reds downed the Judge Memorial Lady Bulldogs 4-1 Wednesday in the 3A state girls soccer tournament. The Lady Reds will next host Bear River Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

SPANISH FORK, Utah (AP)-Courtney Acosta amassed four goals and the Spanish Fork Lady Dons doubled up the Morgan Lady Trojans, 4-2 in the 3A state girls soccer tournament Wednesday. Spanish Fork next hosts Park City in the quarterfinals Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

PARK CITY, Utah (AP)-Sarah McInerney had two goals and the Park City Lady Miners edged the Pine View Lady Panthers, 3-2 Wednesday in the 3A state girls soccer tournament.

GARLAND, Utah (AP)-Kapri Beus, Karley Harper, Maree Richardson, Sabrina Garcia and Sarah Huber each scored as the Bear River Lady Bears pummeled the Payson Lady Lions, 5-0 in the 3A state girls soccer tournament Wednesday. Josie Summers earned the shutout in the win for Bear River.

SANTA CLARA, Utah (AP)-Callie Stewart and Cecilee Horlacher each scored and the Snow Canyon Lady Warriors blanked the Wasatch Lady Wasps, 2-0 Wednesday in the 3A state girls soccer tournament. Horlacher and Grace Walton combined on the shutout for Snow Canyon.

HURRICANE, Utah (AP)-Shania Hurst posted 15 kills and the Hurricane Lady Tigers swept the Canyon View Lady Falcons, 3-0 Wednesday in Region 9 volleyball action.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Rep. Jason Chaffetz has introduced legislation that would repeal the debit card interchange price control provision that would restore balance to the electronic payments system. Chaffetz, along with Democrat Bill Owens of New York, said legislation sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, would compel banks to charge consumers higher fees to make up for lost revenues. Chaffetz said the Durbin Amendment was included in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, that places a cap on per-transaction “swipe fees” that banks charge retailers, when purchases are made via debit cards. The old fee was roughly 44 cents per transaction but the Durbin Amendment limits the fee to 21 cents. Chaffetz said by repealing the Durbin Amendment, banks would not be forced to charge consumers higher fees on transactions.

(LINDON) – A former Monroe soldier serving in the Utah National Guard was presented the second-highest award the Guard has for service. 36-year old Brady Johnson, who serves in the 19th Special Forces Group at Camp Williams, was given the Utah Cross Award earlier this month for helping a bicyclist who was injured. Johnson is the son of John and Jean Johnson of Monroe and currently lives with his wife, Marion and their two children in Lindon.

(FORT MYER, VA.) – A Utah National Guard soldier from Fayette is the winner of the Army’s Best Warrior Competition. Sgt. Guy Mellor is a member of the 145th Field Artillery Battalion’s “B” Battery in Manti and was awarded the Armywide competition after winning the National Guard Soldier of the Year competition in 2009. Mellor said he subscribes growing up in a small town and working on a farm that taught him the work ethic he needed to win the competition. Both competitions tested a soldier’s physical abilities, training skills and decision-making skills, including the ability to function after experiencing extreme fatigue and lack of sleep. Sgt. Mellor said the experience he gained from competing was priceless.

(RICHFIELD) – A Salina woman was taken to the hospital after rolling her vehicle on I-70 near the south Richfield exit late Tuesday night. According to a UHP report, 43-year old Carol Anderson was traveling eastbound in a 2002 Ford Explorer, when she drifted off the left shoulder of the highway, overcorrected and hit a concrete barrier at about midnight. UHP said the impact caused her vehicle to roll. Troopers said Anderson was wearing her seatbelt and was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with unknown injuries.

(CEDAR CITY) – The Utah Department of Transportation will rely on aerial surveying and mapping in an effort to get an accurate assessment of a massive landslide that closed SR-14 east of Cedar City over the weekend. UDOT says the aerial surveys will provide detailed points and measurements that can then be used by engineers to design a new roadway. Most of the work will be contracted to a local contracting company. Ground estimates showed that slide was 1700 feet in length and slid over 100 feet down slope with a rough volume of 1.5-million cubic yards of dirt, rock, vegetation and debris. UDOT officials say in one section alone, slide debris is as deep as 100 feet. Authorities have received no reports of any risk downstream due to water backed up behind debris. A similar slide in the winter of 1992 and 1993 occurred in the same general vicinity of the recent slide.

(HANOVER, N.H.)-During a Tuesday evening GOP debate in New Hampshire, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a popular member of the Republican party, threw his support behind Mitt Romney for the 2012 presidential ticket.

Christie, a revered GOP member, because of his victory in the 2009 governor race in traditionally-liberal New Jersey, is a “hero” to Romney because of his record of cutting government spending during his tenure at Trenton, N.J.

Christie lionized Romney during his statements, saying he is the man America needs.

Last week, Christie defused notions he was planning to run for the presidency and his endorsement of Romney promises to help solidify his support among establishment Republicans in his bid.

(HANOVER, N.H.)-2012 GOP presidential challenger Mitt Romney had more vitriol for President Barack Obama Tuesday evening, saying he has failed to lead in a time of economic peril at a New Hampshire town meeting.

However, Romney sounded less conservative than his Republican rivals during the debate, as he defended the 2008-09 Wall Street bailout and declared he could work with “good” Democrats.

Romney proceeded to give a spirited defense of his health care initiative when he was Massachusetts governor, legislation Obama has referred to as a “partial” blueprint for his own national overhaul.

Romney positioned himself closer to the political center on several points and sought to underscore his claim that he can draw crucial independent voters during next year’s general election.

Meanwhile, Texas Governor Rick Perry, deemed to be Romney’s chief GOP rival did not seem so sure of himself, The Associated Press reported, while Atlanta-based Herman Cain, the former executive of Godfather’s Pizza of Omaha, Neb., received more airtime than usual.

Cain touted his call for replacing the U.S. tax code with a 9 percent national sales tax as well as a 9 percent levy on personal and corporate income.

Tuesday, Obama defended his economic policies and criticized Republican foes in a visit to the general election background of Pennsylvania.

Perry stated the government must open the way for more production of domestic energy sources and questioned Romney concerning his decision as Massachusetts governor to require residents to obtain health insurance, a central component of Obama’s federal plan.

(GROUSE CREEK)-Tuesday, Utah Governor Gary Herbert commenced a four-day tour of rural areas in the state at Grouse Creek School in Box Elder County, one of the last one-room schoolhouses in the state.

The school houses 17 students from kindergarten through 10th grade while Herbert is hoping to epitomize the importance of residents investing in education, market freedom and infrastructure improvement.

Herbert said rural communities, such as Grouse Creek, are facing comparable economic hardships to other Utahns but in some ways are even faring worse as the Box Elder county unemployment rate was at 9.2 percent in September compared to 7.6 percent overall in the state.

Herbert also met with community members at the adjacent Box C Ranch, where most residents work and informed his audience that if economic prospects are to improve, they must learn to embrace technology.

Herbert then conceded that government plays a vital role in the survival and longevity of rural communities, but its power should be limited in such spheres.

Herbert asserts the primary impetus of his tour is job creation, one of the hallmarks he trumpeted last fall before his governorship was secured.

Instead of developing any specific framework to create jobs in rural areas, Herbert says his focus is exhorting local business leaders, residents and elected officials to fulfill expedient tasks to help small-town economies.

Wednesday, it was expected Herbert would be at San Juan High School in Blanding for a discussion to be broadcast throughout the state.

He will remain in central and southern Utah through Friday in hopes of galvanizing local economies.

(DETROIT)-The Associated Press reported a Nigerian man who has pleaded guilty for his attempt to blow up an international flight for al-Qaida with a bomb in his underwear admitted to committing terrorism in retaliation for the slaying of his fellow Muslims throughout the world.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab informed officials in a Detroit courtroom Wednesday the bomb was a “blessed weapon” to avenge the lost lives of adherents to Islam.

On the second day of his trial, Abdulmutallab has pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit terrorism and attempted murder.

He says he then attempted to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 which carried nearly 300 people on Christmas 2009.

The bomb was unsuccessful, but Abdulmutallab was badly burned in the process while hours later in the hospital, he informed the FBI he was working for al-Qaida in Yemen.

(TUBA CITY, Ariz.)-Tuesday, The Associated Press reported the Hopi Tribe has sued the federal government concerning its management of an open dump in Tuba City, Ariz.

The lawsuit filed in tribal court asserts the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs failed to ensure that waste at the 30-acre site did not contaminate the land or groundwater in the region.

The BIA operated this dump for nearly 50 years before its 1997 closure while portions of it were concealed and fenced off.

Tuesday, a BIA spokeswoman did not immediately return messages left, seeking comment.

The lawsuit is seeking the enforcement of and order the tribe issued to the BIA in August, which demanded the federal agency instantaneously intervene to stymie the contamination’s spread.

The dump is on both Hopi and Navajo land.

(HILDALE)-Monday evening, Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies were summoned to assist a 25-year-old polygamous wife of jailed sect leader Warren Jeffs at Hildale, stated a report from ABC4 in Salt Lake City.

Sheriff’s office detective Nate Abbott released a statement Tuesday, stating that deputies were called upon to keep the peace in Hildale Monday when the woman left her Colorado City, Ariz. residence and arrived at another residence in Hildale where she asked for assistance in leaving the community, a process authorities expedited.

Generally, law enforcement officials do not identify women suspected of being abused according to policy.

ABC4 said this instigated a manhunt followed by a standoff while local town marshals and group security surrounded the property of Willie Jessop in Hildale, a member of the hierarchy within the sect and where the woman in question had sought refuge.

Allegations emanating from the woman that she was being detained against her will are currently under the investigation of Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap.

(LOA) – Capital Reef National Park officials want to build two bridges in the Park to remove a popular waterfall due to safety concerns. At the Wayne County Commission meeting this month, Commissioners discussed the issue, along with several people opposed to the demolition of the waterfall. Park Rangers say the waterfall has created safety issues for those visiting the Park and officials want to build bridges to turn the waterway back to its original flow. County Commissioners have no authority to make decisions affecting activities in the Park and can neither support nor oppose any actions taken. Park officials may hold future public hearings to gain comments.

(FT. GREEN) – A Salina truck driver escaped serious injury after his semi rolled on SR-132 six miles north of Ft. Green early Monday morning. According to UHP troopers, 20-year old Beaudan Stickney was traveling eastbound in a 1992 Kenworth semi truck and apparently, fell asleep at the wheel and rolled his rig on its side. UHP said Stickney was wearing his seatbelt and was not seriously injured in the accident that occurred at about 4:30am. Stickney was hauling live turkeys to the Moroni Feed Company in a truck owned by M & M Trucking out of Fayette. UHP said he was cited for careless driving.

(JUNCTION) – Piute County Commissioners met in session Monday to discuss forming a committee in support of a Congressional Lands Bill. The bill is in response to the federal government’s requirement of designating public lands as wilderness. At the meeting, Rep. Mike Noel of Kanab met with Commissioners to discuss what to support or avoid in dealing with public lands issues. Noel has had extensive experience on public lands bills in the state and was invited to address the county commission. Commissioners hope to incorporate economic development and road access resolutions in the formation of the committee.

(FAIRBANKS, Alaska)-A 38-year-old Utah woman who went missing during an all-terrain vehicle excursion in Alaska has been found and while cold, is uninjured, The Associated Press reports.

Sunday, Melinda “Mindy” Straetz was traveling Sunday with a group of people, including her brother, Mitchell Straetz, in the area around milepost 70 of the Steese Highway, northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner says Melinda Straetz disappeared in the area around Smith Creek around 7:30 p.m. Alaska Time.

Mitchell Straetz searched the area without success while driving to the Long Creek Lodge to use a phone to report his sister missing at 2:53 a.m. while planning to refuel, then return to resume the search.

Alaska state troopers coordinated a search Monday morning and her hometown was not immediately made available.

(DENVER)-A federal judge sentenced a Utah man to 41 months in prison for running a Ponzi scheme that targeted 79 residents of the Four Corners area.

The Durango (Colo.) Herald reports Frederick H.K. Baker was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty this summer to two counts of wire fraud and conspiracy.

Federal prosecutors said Baker and Mark Akins, a former Durango resident, took in $1.7 million in the scheme, which began in 2006.

Akins faces a 49-count indictment claiming he marketed Baker’s scheme to unwitting investors and his trial is slated for January 3.

(LOGAN)-Utah State University is seeking to expand its sustainability program by further involving students and capitalizing upon its location near Logan Canyon.

The university was the first of four Utah-based institutions of higher learning to sign the President’s Climate Commitment while other signatories included The University of Utah, Westminster College and Weber State University.

Upon signing, the participating colleges and universities are pledging to implement plans in pursuit of climate neutrality.

After signing this commitment in 2007, USU created the Sustainability Council to support the development and promoting sustainable practices on the Logan-based campus.

In the interim, the council has implemented a wide array of activities, ranging from water conservation to developing a sustainability curriculum.

USU is in the midst of fulfilling various projects that will help the school increase its sustainability and serve as an exemplar to both students and the community in general.

In January, it is expected the university will implement a program aimed at reducing the effects of airplane travel on the institution’s carbon footprint.

The USU dean of the College of Natural Resources Nat Frazer said universities need to realize the role they play in the community and make sustainability more of a focus both on campus and off while the university is using sustainability projects as a way to not only help the environment, but fulfill its role as an educator for future generations.

(NEW YORK)-Monday evening, while many sports fans were watching the NFL’s Detroit Lions earn their first Monday Night Football win since September 1998 or the Major League Baseball playoffs, the National Basketball Association also made headlines with league commissioner David Stern saying the first two weeks of the season have been canceled because a lockout which has persisted since July 1 has not been resolved.

Stern said a major “gulf” exists between the NBAPA, the players’ union, and owners, and the two weeks canceled represent 100 games.

Additionally, Stern cautioned players that every other offer that comes from management for a new collective bargaining agreement will be worse than its predecessor, however long the process goes from here.

The Associated Press and numerous other sources who have covered the lockout, such as Yahoo sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski and cbssports.com NBA columnist Ken Berger, have said that while it is expected both sides will remain in contact, as of late Monday evening, it was not immediately known when talks, which are essential to rectifying the lockout, would resume.

The cancellation of games will last through at least November 14 and affected arenas, such as Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City, have been authorized to release those dates.

The AP reports these now-canceled games represent $83 million in lost ticket sales.

While the U.S. economy languishes, notwithstanding recent, albeit slight, improvements in the past few months, NBA owners’ refusal to acquiesce to players’ demands that they get 57 percent of all profits as was the arrangement under the expired CBA, is the major cause of the gulf, sources say.

The inability to create a new agreement once again tarnishes Stern’s controversial legacy and commemorates the second time in his tenure games during an NBA season have been lost.

After the first lockout, which occurred in the 1998-99 season, games did not start until February 5, 1999 and saw a six-year CBA rise emerge, which was voted upon to continue until June 30, giving way to the present work stoppage.

Parties who were hoping to end the lockout Monday included San Antonio Spurs owner Peter Holt, Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and New York Knickerbockers owner James Dolan representing management.

Those representing the union included Los Angeles Lakers guard and NBAPA president Derek Fisher, NBAPA vice president Maurice Evans, a guard/forward with the Washington Wizards, NBAPA executive director Billy Hunter and attorneys Jeffrey Kessler and Ron Klempner.

Numerous players, such as Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash and Sacramento Kings guard Jimmer Fredette, took to Twitter late Monday after the announcement and stated they were sorry to fans that the impasse ensues.

Whenever the NBA does resume, please remember to visit www.midutahradio.com/sports for all the latest games and schedules.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office received a call last Friday of copper theft at an area north of Richfield. A sheriff’s report said the caller told deputies that a spool of copper wire was taken sometime last week from a welder located at 1025 East 1560 North. Deputies said the copper wire was worth $1150. Sheriff Nate Curtis said his office has received several calls recently of copper theft in the area, with some reports of the wire valued at $10,000 or more. Scrap metal has also been taken. Curtis said with the values of copper wire and metal going up, theft also increases. He encourages farm and equipment owners to keep a close eye on their property and worksites to prevent as much theft as possible.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Denise Crabb, Kenile Lemon and Keri Brunson had two goals apiece and the Millard Lady Eagles routed the Beaver Lady Beavers, 8-1 Monday in 2A West girls soccer action. Shantel Kesler and Shelby Sheriff also scored in the win for the Lady Eagles.

(HANKSVILLE) – The Hanksville Post Office may soon close due to a decrease in revenues to keep it open. Town Clerk Kori Weihing says if the post office closes, residents will have to drive an hour each way of the town to mail their packages. Weihing said a town meeting will be held this Thursday to gain information from a state representative concerning the closure. She said a meeting was held Oct. 4 to gain comment from residents and a discussion over what town officials would do should the office be closed. The next meeting will be held Thursday at 7pm at the Hanksville Town Offices and the public is invited to attend to offer comment.

(SEVIER COUNTY) – A Sevier County man has lost $40,000 of his life’s savings in a Publisher’s Clearing House of Jamaica scam. Sheriff Nate Curtis said the Clearing House has been calling the man continually telling him he needed to send money to them to pay taxes, documentation fees and other fees in order to get his money. Curtis said the company is out of the confines of the United States, where the sheriff’s department has no jurisdiction and is impossible to make an arrest. The sheriff’s report said the man willingly gave money to the company. Curtis warns the public to be wary of those who call saying you’ve won a prize, when no such entry has occurred and to not give out personal or financial information to anyone you don’t know personally. He also encourages family members to help senior citizens get on the “Do Not Call” list.

(GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATIONAL AREA, Ariz.)-As of October 8, Glen Canyon National Recreational Area changed its operation hours to a fall schedule as it is now open from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. MST (Arizona Time).

Additionally, the stateline ramp and its boat pumpout are slated for closure on November 1 and the fee booth at Antelope Point Marina, operated by the Navajo Nation, will close October 30.

Thus, the Jadi’Tooh Restaurant, Sand Bar, Gramma Betty’s and the Market Place store near the marina, have already gone to reduced hours with the advent of autumn.

Additional closures and reductions will occur November 1, and for more information, please visit www.lakepowell.com.

(MORONI) – A Ft. Green couple were taken to the hospital after crashing into a truck along SR-132 north of Moroni Saturday afternoon. According to a UHP report, 61-year old John German was traveling southbound in a 2003 Saturn, when he attempted to pass several vehicles and failed to see a 2010 Dodge truck, that had slowed to make a left turn at about 1pm. UHP said German slammed into the driver’s side door. German was not wearing his seatbelt and was transported to the Central Valley Medical Center in Nephi with minor injuries. His passenger, 58-year old Paula German, was wearing her seatbelt and taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the truck, 24-year old Spencer Oldham of Payson, sustained minor injuries.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Bureau of Land Management has identified 14 miles of waterways in southern Utah that should be designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers to prevent development. BLM officials say that seven stream sections are in Iron County and one in Beaver, which cross land managed by the BLM. Critical habitat for the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher as well as the threatened Mexican spotted owl is found along some of the sections streams. BLM also says the Bonneville Cutthroat trout, is found along stream sections. Utah Rivers Council Executive Director Zach Frankel said the BLM’s proposal is a good beginning but Iron County Commissioner Dale Brinkerhoff is concerned over more federal government regulations in the county. A public comment period runs through Oct. 31.

(CEDAR CITY) – Utah Department of Transportation officials closed a portion of SR-14 over the weekend due to a massive landslide. UDOT Involvement Manager Kevin Kitchen said an 800-foot area of the highway eight miles east of Cedar City was closed early Saturday morning, when debris came crashing down the mountainside, destroying that portion of the highway. Kitchen said the slide is located adjacent to an area that clogged the route with mud, trees and boulders, larger than cars, in December 2008. UDOT closed SR-14 on Thursday for several hours after a smaller slide scattered debris over the road and new cracks were discovered in conjunction with the season’s first major winter storm. Closure will last for several weeks while geotechnical experts evaluate the safety of the area. Officials say that motorists traveling between I-15 in Iron County and U.S. 89 in Garfield County should use SR-20 south of Beaver as an alternate route. UDOT says that cabin owners at Duck Creek Village must approach from Long Valley Junction on Hwy 89. SR-14 is a popular tourist and outdoor recreation route extending through Cedar Breaks National Monument.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Pancho Alcala and Jesse Rhodes each ran for two touchdowns while Rhodes also threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Komarek as the Millard Eagles shellacked the North Sevier Wolves, 47-14 Friday in 2A North football action. Garrett Chlarsen added a 44-yard scoring run for Millard while Desmond Honeycutt threw a 40-yard scoring pass in defeat for North Sevier.

MONROE, Utah (AP)-Patrick Baker returned an interception and a kickoff for touchdowns while Garrett Johnson had a pair of short scoring runs as the South Sevier Rams smacked the Parowan Rams, 41-7 in 2A South football action Friday. Joey Leavitt and Kaden Dustin also scored in the rout for South Sevier.

KANAB, Utah (AP)-Braden Hampton had scoring runs of 30 and 15 yards while Brody Ellis added another touchdown run and Kyler Torgerson returned a blocked kick for a score as the Richfield Wildcats stymied the Kanab Cowboys, 26-6 Friday in 2A South football action.

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)-Hayden Nielsen threw for two touchdowns and accounted for 367 all-purpose yards as the Spanish Fork Dons smoked the North Sanpete Hawks, 27-7 Friday in Region 12 football action. Aaron Lee had two receptions for 69 yards and a score in defeat for North Sanpete.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)-Paula Ferracini and Sara Nilsson each scored and the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs blanked the Beaver Lady Beavers, 2-0 in non-region girls soccer action Friday. BrieAnn Peterson earned the shutout in defeat for Gunnison.

COALVILLE, Utah (AP)-Keegan McQueen ran for four touchdowns and Nathan Rees added two more touchdowns as the North Summit Braves outgunned the Gunnison Bulldogs, 45-27 Friday in 2A North football action. Rylan Anderson threw for four scores in the loss for the Bulldogs, while Colton and Colby Caldwell had two touchdown receptions apiece for Gunnison.

BLANDING, Utah (AP)-Barkley Christensen ran for a touchdown, threw for another score and added a 90-yard kickoff return as the San Juan Broncos bested the Beaver Beavers, 25-13 Friday in 2A South football action. Skyler Yardley threw for a pair of scoring strikes in the loss for Beaver.

(BLANDING) – The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the death of a Colorado woman at Lake Powell in August was an accident. Sheriff Rick Eldredge said the death of 40-year old Diane Ellis was an accident, in which drugs and alcohol apparently played a role, when she drowned next to her houseboat on Aug. 22. Police said that Ellis and her husband were camping near Slick Rock Canyon and had docked their houseboat on the beach for the night. The report stated that Ellis’ husband woke the next morning to find his wife missing. He found her submerged in eight feet of water and called park rangers. Ellis was pronounced dead at the scene. The Utah Medical Examiner’s Office found Ellis had a blood-alcohol level of 0.25%, three times the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle. There were also traces of methamphetamine in her system at the time of her death. The sheriff’s report also noted the couple “had a huge fight the night before.”

(SALINA) – Wild horse feeding programs are costing taxpayers millions of dollars a year with no end in sight. Salina resident Marion Harrison says feeding wild horses and burros that double their population every four years, is ridiculous. Harrison said between the facilities at the Gunnison Prison and in Delta, taxpayers are spending upwards to $2 million a year. He said at one adoption event in Gunnison recently, only five wild horses were adopted among over 900 available and that’s too many to take care of. Harrison noted that the federal government is moving to stop the slaughter of wild horses in the country and the Utah Congressional Delegation is opposed to the measure. Sen. Mike Lee said the feds are closing slaughter houses across America. Statistics show that there are 34,000 wild horses and burros in 181 management areas in 10 Western states and holding facilities are nearly saturated at a cost of $36 million a year nationwide.

(PRICE) – The state’s Permanent Community Impact Fund Board has approved 21 new grants and loans totaling nearly $18.4 million to go towards projects in mining-impacted communities. CIB officials say the money goes to rural counties in Utah that have federal mineral leases for the building of roads, houses and water and sewer systems. Carbon County received $2 million for a new animal shelter, along with a $45,000 snow plow for Cleveland and $2.5 million for a new library in Grantsville. The CIB panel also approved a $7 million low-interest loan to aid the Kane County Water Conservancy District in building a new water system for the Zion View Subdivision, where the community water system has been condemned by the state Division of Drinking Water.

(AMERICAN FORK)-Thursday, the Alpine and Tooele School Districts have been awarded federal grants totaling more than $1.4 million to implement physical education and nutrition programs.

The two districts are among 76 schools and community-based organizations nationwide to receive the Carol M. White Physical Education Grants totaling $35 million.

Alpine was awarded $714,493 and Tooele received $725,641 while the grant money will be used for initiating, expanding and enhancing P.E. and nutrition programs during class time and after-school programs for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

U.S. Secretary of Education Anne Duncan said through these grants, school will net additional resources to assist students in becoming healthier and more active.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-When the Utah Jazz introduced new assistant coach Sidney Lowe, the former head coach at North Carolina State and an eight-year NBA veteran, Thursday, most of the media’s questions revolved around when the end of the NBA lockout, which commenced July 1, would occur.

However, neither head coach Tyrone Corbin, Lowe or general manager Kevin O’Connell had any answers on the matter.

Nevertheless, O’Connor said the team will be ready whenever the owner-imposed lockout is ended.

Corbin expressed frustration with the work stoppage, saying it has been tough to integrate his ideas for how to coach the team because during the lockout, players are not allowed to work out at team facilities or have any contact with coaches.

Lowe, who was Corbin’s teammate with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1990, his last season as an NBA guard, did not speak on the lockout as this is a taboo topic for NBA coaches, but echoed Corbin’s sentiments, saying the team will be ready whenever a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.

Presently, NBA commissioner David Stern has told the media and fans that in addition to the entire preseason being cancelled, the first two weeks of the regular season will also be eradicated if no agreement is reached by Monday October 10.

O’Connor praised the Miller family for retaining all team employees during the work stoppage as in many instances, NBA owners throughout the league have laid off workers with many franchises.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-In a federal class-action lawsuit filed earlier this week, attorneys for Melinda Barlow, who Salt Lake City-based Zions Bank charged $100 in overdraft fees, or $25 for each transaction are challenging the bank’s overdraft policies and practices.

Attorneys contend Zion’s tactics made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for customers to avoid draft fees even in instances where accounts are carefully monitored.

Three law firms are representing Barlow, Salt Lake City-based Anderson & Karrenberg, Shapiro Haber & Urmy of Boston and San Francisco-based Kronenberger Burgoyne.

One of the suit’s primary assertions is from 2005-2010, the bank intentionally ordered customers’ checking account transactions to maximize money-making efforts from overdraft fees.

They claim that many times, customers’ accounts were not actually overdrawn either at the time of the debit transaction or at the time overdraft fees were charged, the suit alleges.

Consequently, the lawsuit says customers were charged unreasonable fees and also claims Zions does not uniformly post deposits to checking accounts before debit transactions, resulting in more overdraft fees.

A Zions Bank spokeswoman said the company does not comment on pending litigation.

As of May 201, Zions reportedly began processing debit card and ATM transaction from the lowest dollar amount to the highest, according to its customer deposit agreement while the lawsuit questions whether this is happening and claims the bank has not followed the “best practices” policy for the industry through the years.

Recent federal legislation is now requiring banks to disclose to customers how they clear checks, stated Utah Department of Financial Institutions chief examiner Michael Jones but ultimately said, the final decision rests in the hands of banks concerning what must be done to post checks or debit card transactions to customers’ accounts.

Jones also said banks must give customers the opportunity to opt out of overdraft protection.

Nationwide, banks collect billions of dollars annually in debit card and ATM overdraft fees, the lawsuit states.

A 2008 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation study estimated overdraft fees accounted for 74 percent of the total services charges imposed on U.S. customers.

(MEXICO CITY)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports Mexican officials have rescued 38 U.S.-bound migrants who were abandoned in the high desert near the Mexico-Arizona border.

The Interior Ministry of Mexico states the four women and 34 men were left by human smugglers in two remote locations, eight and 15 miles, respectively from the city of Nogales, Ariz.

Thursday, a ministry statement declared migrants informed authorities they had been lost and were walking in the arduous Sonoran Desert for days.

The agency has not said when the migrants were rescued and only revealed that one of those rescued was taken to a hospital to be treated for dehydration.

(ST. GEORGE)-Thursday, St. George police arrested 21-year-old Otis Maloney for attempted murder when Maloney called 911 around 11:05 a.m. MDT, claiming he had stabbed his mother.

When officers arrived on the scene, Maloney was taken into custody and the victim was treated by paramedics and transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center with what appeared to be multiple non-life threatening knife wounds.

Authorities learned that Maloney and his mother were having an argument about a cell phone and as the contention ensued, Maloney reportedly stabbed his mother with a knife several times with a kitchen knife.

Maloney was then arrested and transported to the Washington County Jail where he was booked on charges of attempted murder.

(PRICE) – Officials with a gas company drilling in Nine Mile Canyon northeast of Price are saying their dust-suppression efforts are proof that archaeological sites are being protected. Bill Barrett Corp. representatives say dust is not showing up on samples taken from rock-art panels in the eastern Utah canyon. Environmental-monitoring consultants reported their findings on Wednesday at the first annual update since the company and BLM reached a groundbreaking development deal last year. Advocates said five petroglyph panels showed dust minerals more similar to uphill sediments than the road bed and no corrosive salts from the road. Dust suppression was the central issue in the 2010 deal struck to allow 626 wells from 120 pads on the nearby Tavaputs Plateau. In spite of the positive report, consultants did find new graffiti this past year on some of the rock-art panels.

(CENTERFIELD) – An elderly Gunnison woman was airlifted to a Provo hospital after hitting an approaching vehicle on SR-89 Wednesday afternoon. According to a UHP report, 83-year old Maurine Christensen attempted to make a left turn at 400 South in Centerfield, when she drifted into the northbound lane and hit another Gunnison woman, traveling with two children. UHP said after striking 28-year old Jennifer Miller, Christensen overcorrected and hit a parked car on the opposite side of the highway, then proceeded to impact a corner of the Centerfield Community Living Center and slammed into a home at 410 South Main. Troopers said that Christensen was not wearing her seatbelt and hit the windshield. She was airlifted to the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo with broken bones. Miller and her two passengers, ages nine and four, were not injured. Christensen is facing charges in the accident.

(ELSINORE) – An Elsinore woman is giving away her home for free if certain conditions are met. Angie Earl is trying to relocate to Monroe but needs someone to help her with financing, in exchange for a free home. Earl said the five-bedroom, two-bath home features a new roof, new windows, new flooring, new carpet and a new furnace, located on a fenced-in half-acre lot, with a big lawn, pine tree, cement driveway, garage and two wood burning stoves. She says the deal is no joke and she wants to move as soon as possible. If you’re interested, call Earl at 201-0274.

(PROVO)-Provo Mayor John Curtis has been cleared of ethical violations after a complaint from a former mayor prompted an independent investigation.

The Provo Daily Herald stated the investigator determined Curtis had properly disclosed his conflicts and took steps to avoid the appearance of improper influence in various business dealings.

The complaint, filed by former Mayor Lewis Billings, raised questions concerning a land deal involving a Provo business park wherein Curtis owns property and neighboring property owned by the city.

Another concern explored the notion that Curtis influenced the decision to hire a relative as a real estate agent in a separate property purchase.

The investigator did not recommend that Curtis should continue to be cautious when promoting the business park development and rescue himself from decisions concerning the development.

(OREM)-The Associated Press reports Orem authorities are cautioning residents of a scam afoot after a 79-year-old woman in the Utah County city lost about $93,000.

Officials say the scam began with a letter in the mail claiming to be from the American Gaming board while police say it stated the victim had won $2.5 million.

To claim her prize, the claim agent, a Mr. Mark Anderson, informed her over the phone she needed to send him some money so she could claim the much-larger amount.

When she told him she didn’t have the money, “Mr. Anderson” deposited $13,000 into her bank account and while the money actually came from her own credit card that was linked to the bank account number she had provided.

She did not discover that until she had wired $80,000 for what she believed to be her tax liability.

She had never received any cash and ended up being bilked for $93,000 while police say they want to get the word out to prevent others from being scammed.

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-KPNX-TV, Channel 12 in Phoenix reports the investigation into the deaths of three people whose bodies were found inside a charred motor home at Grand Canyon National park points to a possible murder-suicide, National Park Service officials stated Wednesday.

Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman Shannan Marcak did not elaborate on the matter, other than to say the bodies appeared to be those of an adult and two children, while no one else is involved.

Authorities have not released the identities of the individuals in question, but a Minnesota school district identified the three as two students and their father.

Jennifer McNeill, a spokeswoman for the North St. Paul (Minn.)-Maplewood-Oakdale school district identified them as Jersey DeHaven, a kindergartner at Skyview School in Oakdale, Minn., sixth-grader Jace DeHaven and their father, Anthony DeHaven, who had been vacationing in Arizona.

Tuesday, McNeill said a grandmother of the students informed school officials of the deaths.

Monday, firefighters responded to a report of smoke in the RV’s cab, but it was fully engulfed in flames upon their arrival.

Once the blaze was extinguished, investigators were able to enter the RV, finding only the occupants’ remains.

One autopsy occurred Wednesday but Marcak confirmed the results were not released.

Marcak said she did not expect positive identification until later in the week.

The RV was stationed in a popular parking area along the most extensively-traveled road into the South Rim near a sign where tourists often pose for pictures.

Authorities had since reopened the area to tourists Wednesday afternoon after removing what had been left of the RV, Marcak said.

(WASILLA, Alaska)-Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin brought months of speculation concerning a possible run for the presidency on the 2012 GOP ticket to a close Wednesday by announcing she will not run.

In a statement released to The Associated Press, Palin said she can be more effective as a political activist by helping to elect true public servants to office.

Palin thanked adherents who exhorted her to run while she encouraged them to stay involved politically.

During a call-in to national conservative talk radio host Mark Levin’s show, she said she looks forward to supporting whoever the GOP nominee turns out to be while saying she will not be shackled down by parameters a nominee would be restricted by.

Palin served as senior Arizona senator John McCain’s running mate in 2008 and after this proved unsuccessful, she returned to Alaska’s governorship to fulfill the remainder of her stint.

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports that while autumn has only been going for two weeks according to the calendar, the first signs of winter are ensuing in southern Utah and northern Arizona.

According to a Thursday report on the National Weather Service’s Web site, a winter storm warning is in effect for the remainder of the day from Logan to at least New Harmony on the I-15 corridor and Bryce Canyon National Park eastward, while Monticello is the only southeastern Utah area under the advisory.

The latest NWS report, as published on www.accuweather.com, reports the mountains of central and southern Utah, through at least 6:00 p.m. MDT Thursday evening, can expect up to 18 inches of snow above 7,000 feet, while elevations below 7,000 feet should see up to six inches.

Motorists traveling on S.R. 143, S.R. 14 and S.R. 148, which traverse the mountain passes east of Cedar City in the Cedar Breaks National Monument area and the Brian Head area will be slushy as will certain sections of Interstate 70 in Clear Creek Canyon near Cove Fort.

Meanwhile, the Kaibab Plateau of northern Arizona was expected to have received 3-5 inches of snow Wednesday evening while the San Francisco Peaks, in the Flagstaff, Ariz. area, were targeted for heavy snow at elevations above 9,500 feet.

A hard freeze is also anticipated Friday and Saturday mornings throughout much of northern Arizona, with Flagstaff having a predicted low of 23 degrees for Friday morning.

SPANISH FORK, Utah (AP)-McKinley Brinkerhoff amassed a hat trick and the Spanish Fork Lady Dons crushed the North Sanpete Lady Hawks, 8-0 Wednesday in Region 12 girls soccer action. Brooke Davis and Mariah Dawe combined on the shutout for Spanish Fork.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Mike Lee has introduced legislation that would create millions of new jobs and inject $1 trillion in the American economy. Lee’s legislation would significantly reduce the excessive tax on repatriated assets on money earned by American companies overseas if they bring their business back to the country. Lee’s proposal would permanently lower the tax rate for those businesses from 35% to five percent. He said the President is going around the country trying to convince Americans to borrow another half-trillion dollars to stimulate the economy, when his amendment would stimulate the economy more than twice what the President is proposing, without saddling future generations with more debt.

(FARMINGTON, N.M.)-KOB-TV, Channel 4 in Albuquerque, N.M. reports the FBI is investigating a case involving a San Juan County (N.M.) Sheriff’s Deputy who was caught on videotape beating a Navajo man with his flashlight.

The Farmington (N.M.) Daily Times reports an FBI spokesman confirmed the federal agency was looking into the beating, but declined comment on any specifics.

Earlier this year, Deputy Dale Frazier was fired after a videotape depicted him slamming the 22-year-old Donovan Tanner onto his patrol car face-up after which he hit him repeatedly with his flashlight.

Tanner was later awarded $250,000 from San Juan County while the beating captured the attention of the Navajo Human Rights Commission, which said the beating was a “clear demonstration” of police brutality against Native Americans by law enforcement officials in the Farmington area.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Dee Benson ruled a class action lawsuit can proceed against ReconTrust and Bank of America.

Benson said after considering the memoranda and the oral arguments, the court finds the plaintiffs failed to show that MERS, HSBC, Wells Fargo and the Bank of New York Mellon were involved in the conduct giving rise to any claims.

Benson also ruled that ReConTrust’s assertion that it could foreclose on properties located in Utah pursuant to 12 U.S.C., which has allowed it to foreclose as a trustee in Texas does not apply to Utah.

Attorney John Christian Barlow said he and his partner, E. Craig Smay, who filed the lawsuit, will “vigorously” prosecute the case to the fullest extent of the law in behalf of Utah homeowners who have been unlawfully deprived of their rights and lost their homes in unlawful foreclosure.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Police said a 39-year-old Salt Lake City man tried to avoid paying his TRAX fare by threatening to infect a transit police officer with AIDS.

Transit police stated they were checking tickets August 29 at the Trolley Square Platform at 625 E. 400 South when the man got off of a train and was asked for his ticket, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in 3rd District Court.

The man started arguing and “chest bumped” the officer on several occasions, then tried to run, while refusing to place his hands behind his back, police said.

As the officer was straddling the defendant, police said he managed to kick the officer three or four times in the back and yelled that he had AIDS and he would bite the officer, the complaint attests.

The man then put his mouth and teeth on the officer’s left forearm, the complaint alleges.

While it wasn’t known if the officer was injured or if the bite borke the skin, it was determined the man was indeed HIV-positive, the complaint stated.

The man has since been charged with one count of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, and with misdemeanor charges of failure to stop at an officer’s command and interfering with an arresting officer.

(BILLINGS, Mont.)-A federal judge threw out a lawsuit claiming federal agents illegally raided the Custer Battlefield Museum of Garryowen, Mont. during an investigation into the alleged sale of fraudulent battlefield artifacts and eagle feathers.

U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull dismissed claims that the raids were illegal and the agents had violated the constitutional rights of museum director Christopher Kortlander as “frivolous.”

Two dozen federal agents who participated in the 2005 and 2008 raids were mentioned in the lawsuit.

The investigation closed in 2009 with no charges filed while eagle feathers and parts seized in one of the raids by the Bureau of Land Management as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have not been returned to Kortlander, who has another case pending to get them back.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, which defended the agents, declined to comment on Cebull’s ruling as it was subject to appeal.

The lawsuit targeted individual agents instead of the agencies involved in the raids as part of what is called a “Biven’s action,” which acts much like a civil rights case in state court, the rarely used federal legal measure allows private citizens to sue for damages against federal officials for violating their rights.

Kortlander describes his lawsuit as a test case of the government’s handling of artifact crime investigations, including a high-profile 2009 raid on dealers in the Four Corners region of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

Kortlander claimed his rights to free speech, bear arms, be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures, and nearly six other freedoms were violated in the raids.

Cebull stated that a significant majority of Kortlander’s claims had to be dismissed as the statute of limitations has passed.

However, he added, that even if the claims had been made in a timely manner, Kortlander failed to show his rights were violated.

Cebull stated the search warrant obtained in 2008 had a “rock solid foundation in probable cause,” because of information suggesting Korlander was illegally trading eagle feathers.

(WASHINGTON)-The Obama administration wants to speed up the permitting and construction of seven proposed electronic transmission lines in 12 states as it strives to create jobs and modernize the nation’s power grid.

These projects are intended to serve as pilot demonstrations of streamlined federal permitting and improved cooperation among federal, state and federal governments while the lines will provide electricity for Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

These projects are expected to create thousands of jobs, help avoid blackouts, restore power more swiftly as outages occur and reduce the need for new power plants.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said the seven power lines being expedited under the pilot program will serve as important links across the country to increase the capacity and reliability of the nation’s power grid.

David DeCampli, the president of Allentown, Pa.-based PPL Electric Utilities and Ralph LaRossa, the president of Public Service Electric & Gas of Newark, N.J., applauded the administration’s efforts.

It is expected their product, and others, will ensure that high-priority electric infrastructure projects are built and placed in service in a timely manner, power executives said.

Pam Eaton, the deputy vice president for public lands of the Washington-based The Wilderness Society also lauded efforts made.

A formal announcement was expected Wednesday and The Associated Press obtained a copy of the plan.

(NEW YORK)-Unlike the NFL, which was able to ratify a 10-year collective bargaining agreement August 4, the National Basketball Association is in danger of losing regular season games to a lockout as Tuesday negotiations left the NBPA and owners no closer to reaching a deal.

NBA commissioner David Stern and deputy commissioner Adam Silver informed The Associated Press Tuesday that the remainder of the NBA preseason has been canceled while Stern said if no CBA is reached by Monday, the league has no choice but to cancel the first two weeks of regular season games.

Presently, no further meetings are scheduled, a notion which Sports Illustrated NBA writer Chris Mannix told national sports talk show host Dan Patrick was “idiotic” on The Dan Patrick Show Wednesday morning.

NBPA union president Derek Fisher, a guard with the Los Angeles Lakers, said Tuesday proved to be ineffective in terms of getting a deal done and sufficient movement was not made in order to close the gap, which sources say, still consists of $80-$100 million in differing views.

Under the old CBA, players received 57 percent of basketball-related income in the last year of the old agreement, which expired June 30 and have since gone down to 53 percent of BRI in their demands, but NBA owners reportedly want the revenue to go down to 47 percent for players, an idea players have vehemently rejected several times.

Stern said the league is at risk of losing $200 million in revenues for the preseason’s cancellation while NBPA executive director Billy Hunter said decertification, a tactic the NFLPA employed in March when the NFL lockout ended, is not out of the question.

The regular season is tentatively slated to commence November 1 but Mannix and other NBA analysts, such as ESPN/ABC-TV commentator Jeff Van Gundy have said a December 1 start to the season may now be the best-case scenario for league play to begin.

Stern has also said if the NBA season does not start November 1, which seems increasingly unlikely with every passing day, it will be extremely difficult to get the requisite 82 games in as presently, arenas, such as EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, are pressuring the NBA to see if events can be scheduled later throughout the calendar year in 2012.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Federal officials are proposing protections for eight southern Utah streams noted for their wildlife, scenic waterfalls or pioneer inscriptions.

The Bureau of Land Management identifies the 14 total miles of waterways in a draft proposal released this week.

The BLM says some of the stream sections provide habitat for the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher and the threatened Mexican spotted owl.

A state-sensitive fish species, the Bonneville Cutthroat trout, is also found in certain sections of these streams.

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act protects rivers and streams from development that would hurt habitat or impede the water flow.

A public comment period is ongoing through October 31.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Tuesday, Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly exhorted Utah officials to include native tribes in public land planning.

During his remarks, Shelly informed state lawmakers that the conservation of lands in southeastern Utah is important to the Navajo people because of their cultural and ceremonial significance.

Shelly says including tribal leaders in public lands planning could help repair the distrust of the U.S. government among Native Americans.

Shelly is highlighting a new book, Dine Bikeyah, during his visit to the Utah Capitol while the book includes pictures of important lands in southeastern Utah, as well as quotes from Navajo people concerning their personal connections to the land.

The book depicts other Native American tribes who have lived in the area, including the Ute, Paiute and Hopi tribes.

(OMAHA, Neb.)-In a lawsuit, three conservationist groups contend U.S. officials illegally allowed a Canadian company to begin preparing the route for its proposed 1,700-mile pipeline from western Canada to Texas although the project has not yet gained final approval from the federal government.

The lawsuit, which was expected to be filed Wednesday at federal court in Omaha, Neb., seeks to halt work on Calgary-based TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry crude from the oil sands of Alberta to Texas Gulf Coast refineries.

This alleges that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service allowed the pipeline operator to prematurely disrupt the environment.

The project has not yet received U.S. State Department approval but the lawsuit asserts federal officials have already authorized TransCanada to mow native grasslands along the route and relocate American burying beetles, an endangered species.

The plaintiffs, The Center for Biological Diversity of Tucson, Ariz., the Western Nebraska Resources Council of Chadron, Neb., and Gent, Belgium-based Friends of the Earth, say TransCanada has cleared an 100-mile pipe corridor through the Nebraska Sandhills in the north-central portion of the Cornhusker State, despite a federal law preventing the launch of projects before approval is received.

They also have stated the decision to allow this groundwork is a sign federal officials are not committed to the full, legally mandated review while U.S. State Department officials have conducted public meetings throughout last week in Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, states through which the pipeline would run and have thus far defended the process as “fair.”

Pipeline reports are pointing toward a U.S. State Department study while some Nebraska water experts who claim any spill in the aquifer would have a limited impact.

The pipeline would then carry an estimated 700,000 barrels of oil daily, doubling the capacity of an existing Canadian pipeline while business groups and unions have welcomes this project as a job-creator and plan to reduce their dependence upon Middle East oil.

However, the pipeline has drawn opposition from an unlikely coalition of Nebraska farmers, ranchers, environmental groups and other activists who are concerned about it leaking and contaminating the Ogallala aquifer, which supplies drinking and irrigation water to eight states.

Supporters and top TransCanada executives have said the criticism is baseless and an attempt to stir fears.

Nebraska State Senator Annette Dubas circulated a bill this week that would grant state authorities the ability to relocate the pipeline around the aquifer while Dubas and several other lawmakers are pushing for a special legislative session which would address concerns about the pipeline’s route before the State Department’s expected decision in December.

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman said he supports the pipeline but opposes the route while the Republican has declined to call a special session, citing a lack of legislative support and he questioned whether the state can supersede federal law, despite U.S. State Department assurances.

The lawsuit contends that many Nebraskans who oppose the project may not speak publicly out of fear for their job prospects and professional relationships.

(TRENTON, N.J.)-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will not be joining the 2012 GOP presidential race, but he still may have played a role in shaping the race from the sidelines.

His network of admirers and big-money donors, along with his continued popularity would make his endorsement a coveted campaign contribution, operatives say.

Christie ultimately decided this was not his time while he will use his role as vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association to work with governors nationwide in subsequent years and would be willing to support whoever becomes the 2012 nominee.

Christie swiftly became a popular Republican in 2009 when he obtained the New Jersey governorship over Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine while he won praise for budget cutting and employee benefit reforms, while he also took on powerful teachers unions and shook up the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Christie, known for his charismatic speaking skills, has spent the last two election cycles campaigning for Republicans throughout the country, such as Ohio Governor John Kasich.

Another Republican he campaigned for, Meg Whitman, who lost the California governor race and is now the CEO of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Hewlett-Packard, is among those with deep pockets and an affinity for Christie, whom she hosted a fundraiser for at her home last week.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Council voted in a special session Tuesday night to reject all bids and start the process over in the proposed construction of a new fire station in the city. Mayor Brad Ramsay said all bids were higher than engineer’s estimates on the structure. Ramsay said most of the bids were in excess of nearly $200,000 more than the funds the city has for the project. He said by re-working the bids, contractors will have the opportunity to fine tune their bids and re-submit the projections as spring approaches next year. Councilmember Richard Barnett commented that the bids should reflect what the city needs, not what money is available. Jones and DeMille engineers said the building would be 10% better than what the state code requires.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Defense attorney Scott Williams says all suspected members of the Tongan Crip Gang on trial are guilty by association rather than by investigation during remarks he made in court Tuesday in Salt Lake City.

These supposed gang members are all charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act while defense attorneys for each of the defendants delivered closing arguments in U.S. District Court Tuesday and the case was expected to go before the jury Wednesday.

Prosecutors, who delivered closing arguments Monday, contend that between 2003 and 2008, the group participated in a series of at least 30 crimes, including a homicide, a second shooting, beer thefts and armed robberies at fast-food chains and a Salt Lake Valley Wal-Mart.

The government believes this act adds up to a racketeering conspiracy.

Williams said under the parameters of the act, also known as RICO, if a group is to be prosecuted or considered an enterprise, crimes must be committed for the purpose of maintaining or enhancing a position in the crime organization.

Defense attorney David Finlayson noted some of the defendants who committed the crimes barely knew each other while also contending the government had failed to come up with any witnesses or evidence that proved organized crime was ongoing.

After four weeks of trial, Williams said he was still unsure what rules of the TCG gang were or who had called any of the shots in the process.

Williams, while stating he was not downplaying the seriousness of danger of street gangs told jurors that they watched the government’s case dissolve before their eyes as no evidence was presented supporting the group becoming an enterprise.

The men in question are among 17 suspected TCG members indicted last year while five have reached plea agreements with prosecutors and four others are scheduled for trial next year.

At one point during Tuesday closing arguments, defense attorneys called for a mistrial after an alternate juror handed Judge Tena Campbell a note saying that several jurors were concerned about possible retribution if guilty verdicts were handed down.

Defense attorneys argued that meant some jurors may have been talking about the case, which they are not permitted to do per the judge’s orders.

Campbell denied this motion and said she planned to instruct jurors at the end of closing arguments to read their jury instructions again, which included making a decision based on the evidence presented in court and nothing else.

(GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.)-A 70-year-old Arkansas man found dead at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park Monday has been identified.

Cherokee Village, Ark. resident Donald Haney apparently died of natural causes, stated Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman Shannan Marcak who said Haney’s body was found by another park visitor who immediately reported the death to park officials.

Haney was found at the Cape Royal Trail Head on the North Rim.

MOAB, Utah (AP)-Amanda Sheets posted a hat trick and Abbie Camps added two more goals as the Grand Lady Red Devils smoked the South Sevier Lady Rams, 7-2 Tuesday in 2A East girls soccer action.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Ali Rosquist, Kaitlyn Pogroszewski and Summer Pipes each scored and the Manti Lady Templars blanked the Richfield Lady Wildcats, 3-0 in 2A East girls soccer action Tuesday. Heidi Richardson earned the shutout in the win for Manti.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)-Sarah Nilson amassed five goals and Sara Brown added two more scores as the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs pounded the North Sevier Lady Wolves, 8-0 Tuesday in 2A East girls soccer action. Nikayla Allred added another goal for Gunnison, while BrieAnn Peterson added the shutout for the Lady Bulldogs.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Keri Brunson had two goals while Denise Crabb and Shelby Sheriff also scored as the Millard Lady Eagles ousted the Parowan Lady Rams, 4-3 in 2A West girls soccer action Tuesday. Tavia Rice had two goals in defeat for Parowan.

PAYSON, Utah (AP)-Kennedy Springer and Jenna Bradfield combined for 25 kills as the Delta Lady Rabbits downed the Payson Lady Lions, 3-0 Tuesday in Region 12 volleyball action.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)-Macail Wood posted 27 kills and eight blocks as the Beaver Lady Beavers got past the Enterprise Lady Wolves, 3-2 in Region 13 volleyball action Tuesday. Brittany Blackner added 25 more assists in the win for Beaver.

MANTI, Utah (AP)-Lexi Hansen and Mandee Christensen had nine kills apiece and the Manti Lady Templars swept American Leadership, 3-0 Tuesday in Region 16 volleyball action.

SALINA, Utah (AP)-Kelsey Barney had 13 assists and the North Sevier Lady Wolves bested the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs, 3-0 in Region 16 volleyball action Tuesday.

(FORT LEE, VA.) – A local soldier from Sanpete County is participating in an Army-wide Best Warrior Competition at Ft. Lee, VA. 24-year old Sgt. Guy Mellor of Fayette is among 12 other soldiers from around the country selected by his unit to participate. Mellor said the grueling competition tests combat skills, acumen and written skills. He said so far, he’s doing well in the competition, while his skills are tested in land navigation, shooting and battle skills. Mellor said the competition continues until Friday and at the end, the leader selects a winner. He said win or lose, the competition will help him develop his skills in the military.

(PHOENIX)-KPNX-TV, Channel 12 in Phoenix reports Phoenix Fire Department crews responded to reports of a white powdery substance in the bathroom of a U.S. Airways plane that touched down at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport Monday, according to airport and fire department officials.

The plane was coming from Cancun, Mexico and touched down at 11:51 a.m. MST (Arizona Time) while passengers were kept on board for roughly 30 minutes while the Fire Department accessed the situation.

After exiting the plane into Terminal 4, passengers went through the normal Customs process, stated Brian Levin from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

It is not yet known what the substance was while no passengers had apparent injuries or health complaints, according to Captain Scott Walker of the Phoenix Fire Department.

It was initially believed that a Border Patrol agent found the powder, but this was not confirmed, Levin said, while he also stated that if it were a Border Patrol agent, it would have been an off-duty agent.

(PHOENIX)-The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports Monday a federal judge struck down claims by environmental groups questioning the federal government’s plans to protect plants and animals within two national monuments in the Arizona Strip.

The ruling affirmed the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s environmental plan, saying the agency is adequately protecting the natural landscape, endangered species and archaeological artifacts within the Grand Canyon-Parashant and Vermilion Cliffs National Monuments.

A 2009 lawsuit filed by the Wilderness Society, Arizona Wilderness Coalition, Sierra Club, Grand Canyon Wildlands Council and National Trust for Historic Preservation contended that off-road vehicle use and grazing in the national monument was destroying historical aircrafts and critical habitats for endangered species, such as the desert tortoise.

However, U.S. District Judge Paul G. Rosenblatt stated the agency fulfilled its obligation under federal lands policies and the presidential proclamation that created the monuments in 2000.

James Angell, the lawyer who argued this case for Oakland, Calif.-based Earthjustice, a non-profit law firm representing the groups, said the conservationist organizations will appeal the decision to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The judge also ruled against a suit brought by the Tucson, Ariz.-based Center For Biological Diversity that claimed the use of lead ammunition by hunters in the two areas is poisoning species, such as the California condor.

There was no answer as of late Monday afternoon from BLM offices at St. George and Phoenix and a spokeswoman did not immediately respond to an email.

(OGDEN)-U.S. Forest Service employees and contractors, sporting bright-colored vests, will be surveying visitors to the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Ashley National Forests concerning their experiences and uses while on the land.

This initiative is part of gathering information on how the forest and local community tourism planning will proceed in the future.

This past August, the U.S. Forest Service’s National Visitor Use Monitoring Report shows outdoor recreation activities on Utah’s national forests contributed $407 million annually to local economies, featuring over 11 million visitors to the state.

Utah forests offer outdoor recreation opportunities, such as hiking and biking statewide, boating and much more.

The report also states Utah national forests, such as the Dixie and Manti La-Sal National Forests, among others, account for 15 percent of national forest recreation nationwide.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Monday, the Utah Legislature passed a resolution recognizing the 75th anniversary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ welfare program.

The resolution recognized the significant impact this system has had both locally and throughout the world as well as the Church’s efforts to serve others, regardless of their religious preference or affiliation.

Utah Republican Senator Stuart Reid of Ogden says this initiative has also saved the state hundreds of millions of dollars through the years.

The system was first established in 1936, when then-Church President Heber J. Grant announced its creation while presently, the Church’s welfare system is comprised of Deseret Industries, with locations in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington, as well as 129 bishop’s storehouses and 300 employment resource centers throughout the world.

(GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.)-Monday, an unknown number of people died following an early morning fire that engulfed an RV parked near the entrance of Grand Canyon National Park.

Witness at the South Entrance Station called the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center, reporting that a motor home had smoked in the cab.

Firefighters arrived on the scene just after 7:20 a.m. MST (Arizona Time) and were able to extinguish the flames, while determining the RV had been occupied at the time of the fire and fatalities had occurred, according to park spokesman Shannan Marcak.

The National Park Service will be conducting an investigation of the incident with the assistance of the Flagstaff (Ariz.) Fire Department, and Coconino County’s medical examiner, who was helping to determine the number of fatalities.

Additional information was not available Monday.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah State attorneys are asking the Utah Supreme Court to uphold the capital murder conviction of a man a jury found guilty of brutally strangling and stomping a 72-year-old woman to death during a 2004 burglary of her Salt Lake City home.

Utah’s high court is set to hear an appeal from attorneys for Floyd Eugene Maestas Tuesday.

Defense attorneys contend the 55-year-old Maestas is mentally disabled and therefore exempt from the death penalty.

State prosecutors assert that IQ tests conducted when Maestas was a teenager offered no indication he suffered from a disability.

In 2008, a jury convicted Maestas of aggravated murder and aggravated burglary in connection with the death of Donna Lou Bott.

A judge has since ordered that he be executed via lethal injection.

(WASHINGTON)-Tuesday, U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama announced longtime hotel executive Angella Reid will take over the job next month and will become the White House’s first female chief usher.

The chief usher’s job is a demanding one, overseeing most aspects of White House operations, from tours and state dinners to the mansion’s historic preservation.

Reid is currently general manager at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel of Alexandria, Va., but has also helped run properties in Miami, New York, Washington and Rocky Hill, Conn.

Reid will be replacing Rear Administrator Stephen Rochon, the first black to have the usher’s post, who took a position at the Department of Homeland Security.

(WASHINGTON)-The Associated Press reports The Obama administration is denying that its efforts to build ties with China have hurt U.S.-Taiwanese relations.

Kurt Campbell, the highest-ranking diplomat for East Asia fell under fire Tuesday from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers who are critical of the administration’s decision against supplying new F-16 fighter jets to the island.

Campbell told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that efforts to improve relations with Beijing have since contributed to historic levels of stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Campbell also denied that Washington gave advance notice to China that it would only be providing upgrades to Taiwan’s presently-existing F-16 fleet.

Committee chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said the U.S. has since appeared timid in the face of China, which she deems to be “on the march” in Asia.

(MINNEAPOLIS)-Jury selection is set to resume in the trial of two Minnesota women accused of funneling money to a Somalian terrorist group.

Tuesday, opening statements are expected in the trial of 35-year-old Amina Farah Ali and 64-year-old Hawo Mohammed Hassan, each of which are U.S. citizens of Somali descent.

Monday, Chief U.S. District Judge Michael Davis found Ali in contempt of court for refusing to stand for the judge or jury.

Davis sentenced Ali to 50 days in custody and ordered her detained for the duration of the trial while she cited her religious beliefs for her refusal to stand.

Ali and Hassan are among 20 people accused of recruiting and financing al-Shabab, an entity which the U.S. considers a terror group with al-Qaida connections.

The women have since maintained their innocence.

(LOS ANGELES)-Two groups connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints impressed judges on last Monday’s broadcast of the NBC reality show, “The Sing-Off.”

The groups, Vocal Point, which is affiliated with Brigham Young University and Delilah of Los Angeles, are both comprised of Latter-Day Saint performers and will advance with five other groups to next week’s competition.

At stake is $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony while as the show progresses, one group will be eliminated weekly and ultimately, the decision rests in the hands of the television audience.

(DELTA) – A new visitor’s center in Delta is the site of a multi-institution cosmic ray observatory constructed by the University of Utah. The observatory, known as the Telescope Array, features displays about the history of cosmic ray research, spread across the desert west of Delta. The center also includes a display about the nearby Topaz internment camp, where U.S. citizens of Japanese descent were imprisoned during World War II. Scientists say the Telescope Array is the largest cosmic ray detector in North America and is an international collaboration of more than 30 research institutions from the United States, Japan, Korea, Russia and Belgium. The visitor’s center is located at 648 West Main in Delta and on Wednesday at 1pm, the public is invited to an open house.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-During a four-hour process Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Veda Travis meticulously laid out a case involving a Salt Lake City-area Tongan crip gang to a jury, surmising four weeks of evidence.

In her statements, Travis declared The Tongan Crip Gang is a criminal enterprise which exists to perpetrate criminal purposes and it particularly specializes in robberies.

The prosecutor took the bulk of the day in U.S. District Court as Judge Tena Campbell presided while she focused on her closing arguments in the racketeering case in question.

Defense attorneys for the seven remaining men charged under the Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, or RICO, were expected to respond throughout the day Tuesday.

After establishing her stance on what the Tongan Crip Gang is, including its purposes and objectives, Travis outlined the evidence she believed to determine each man’s membership in the gang.

In doing so, she cited the men’s tattoos, aliases, identifications made by fellow gang members, police officers, experts and anything else she could use to prove her point.

Travis also stated that whether it be formal or informal in its creation, the gang is an organized enterprise with a common purpose, to commit crimes which would further intimidate victims or seek to increase power for the gang and individual members.

Travis also said the “senseless violence” from 2003-2008 consisted of everything from beer runs and armed robberies at fast food chains.

The trial is focusing on 30 crimes allegedly committed by Eric Kamahele, David Kamoto, Daniel Maumau, Kepa Maumau, Sitamipi Toki, Mataika Tuai and David Walsh while Charles Moa was also listed as a defendant in the case and was on trial until last week, when the judge granted an acquittal on the grounds that there was not sufficient evidence to show Moa acted in any way that would maintain or enhance the man’s position in the Tongan Crip Gang.

These men were among 17 suspected TCG members indicted last year while five had reached plea agreements with prosecutors, while four others are scheduled for trial next year.

In opening arguments, various defense attorneys reminded jurors to consider each man and act on an individual basis, while eschewing assumptions.

After the attorneys have each been allowed to argue on the behalf of clients, the government will make rebuttal remarks and the case will rest in the hands of the jury.

(WEST VALLEY CITY)-Researchers with the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of Utah are conducting a study to determine if truck drivers’ sedentary lifestyles may compromise health enough to trigger highway accidents.

According to data presently collected, researcher Dr. Matt Thiese has deduced that over half of the people analyzed are technically obese and of those, another quarter are in the overweight category.

Statistics are currently showing long haul truckers generally have a higher body mass index while more cases of diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure are found among this group, while drivers also tend to be older by several years.

This University of Utah team will analyze more than 100,000 drivers and researchers will delve back into the archives at least 10 years while comparing their findings with both fatal and non-fatal truck accidents, statistics which the federal government routinely gathers.

Drivers will also be divided into two groups, while one group will make no changes in their lifestyle and the other will carry refrigerators and safe stoves in their cabs.

Each trucker in the second group will be selecting healthier food goals, with the ambition of losing 10 pounds over a six-month period.

The study is still three years from completion, but Salt Lake City-based trucking company C.R. England is attempting to house a little city within its own walls, designed to encourage a healthier breed of drivers.

Within its small city, England has a fitness room, medical clinic, and a sleep diagnosis center now to identify common sleep disorders.

Thom Pronk, the head of England’s recruiting, training and safety program, says if drivers are healthier, they will drive better, which includes ensuring they can rest properly.

(OREM)-Family, friends, and hundreds of well-wishers, including Utah Governor Gary Herbert, gathered to remember former Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn at his funeral Monday, who died last week after succumbing to cancer.

Washburn, a longtime Orem business owner, ran for mayor in the bustling Utah County community in 2000, and after he won the post, he was reelected on two subsequent occasions, ranking as the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history.

City Manager Bruce Chesnut said Washburn was a “dedicated public servant,” while police and firefighters stood in respect during the procession of Washburn’s body to the city cemetery.

City officials now face an imposing task as state law requires that the mayor position be filled within 30 days of an elected official’s passing.

While the vacancy will be filled, city councilman Carl Hernandez lionized Washburn, saying he is irreplaceable.

(BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS)-Last month, a nearly 8-year pursuit by more than 130 Brigham Young University engineering students resulted in a world record at the Bonneville Salt Flats near the Great Salt Lake.

The electric car these students constructed broke a land speed record, averaging 155.8 miles, with the fastest qualifying run clocking in at 175 miles per hour.

This group of students and their professors constructed a streamline vehicle using a long, slender shape and enclosed wheels to reduce air resistance while the vehicle, “Electric Blue,” competed in the E-1 class, which consists of vehicles weighing less than 1,100 pounds.

Presently, the record-setting car resides in the Crabtree Technology Building on the Provo-based campus.

(RICHFIELD) – State Senator Ralph Okerlund of Monroe is moving forward with Gov. Gary Herbert’s plan to add 100,000 jobs to Utah in the next three years. In a radio interview, Okerlund said he also has his own bill to increase jobs in rural areas in Utah. He also said he’s preparing for the next legislative session at the beginning of 2012 with legislation to protect public land in the state for economic use. Okerlund said a number of other issues, including immigration, access to public lands and wilderness will be up for review in the upcoming legislative session.

(RICHFIELD) – Local water managers are reporting a quadruple increase in precipitation for three years at the official end of the water year Sept. 30. Mid-Utah Radio water watchers said the total amount of rain recorded at KSVC Radio in Richfield in 2009 was 3.45 inches, 8.39 inches of precipitation in 2010 and 12.49 inches in 2011. The official reporting data for the National Weather Service is recorded from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 each year. Water managers said the total amount of precipitation was highest in 2011 due to an unusually heavy, wet spring and early summer, causing flooding in many areas of South-Central Utah.

(PAGE, Ariz.)-A 2-year building program for Page (Ariz.) Hospital worth nearly $5 million has culminated in a new, state-of-the-art intensive care unit for the 53-year-old Banner health facility near the Utah state line, reports the Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz.

The new ICU will permit the 25-bed hospital to treat patients that otherwise would have been air-evacuated to Flagstaff Medical Center, stated Page Hospital CEO Sandy Haryasz, while it is slated for an October 13 opening.

During a September 24 open house, Banner Health critical care nurse Delondra Boyd demonstrated the new technology with a televised appearance at the Page ICU while she was successfully able to articulate her message from her Mesa, Ariz. facility.

Banner Health is the Southwest’s first healthcare system to provide the eICU technology through its iCare intensive program, a company press release stated.

Page Hospital commenced a series of major improvement in 2008 by opening a 10,000-square foot, $6 million emergency department while since October 2009, the hospital remodeled its radiology department for $1.5 million, spent $1.3 million on an MRI unit and added the ICU for $1.9 million.

Last week, Page Hospital stated Arizona Governor Jan Brewer was expected to sign a proclamation recognizing its efforts to provide health care which prioritizes patient comfort, dignity, empowerment and well-being.

(ST. GEORGE) – The Huntsman World Senior Games begin Tuesday in St. George. Organizers say that an expected 10,000 athletes from all 50 states and 22 countries will attend the games, along with 2,000 volunteers to help run the competition. Activities range from archery to volleyball for those 50 years of age and older. CEO of the games, Kyle Case, said the 27 sports are organized in categories according to difficulty, with a great selection to choose from, to accommodate as may athletes as possible. The first World Senior Games in 1987 drew 300 athletes to St. George and city leaders are excited at the increase of participants and spectators that come to the city to view the games. St. George Assistant City Manager Marc Mortenson said the games bring people back to the city for relocation and the city’s motels, restaurants and stores greatly benefit from the influx.

(PRICE) – Carbon County Commissioners plan to temporarily restrict public access to several county roads and have scheduled a public hearing on the matter. The hearing will be held this Wednesday night concerning access to five county roads, including the West and East sides of Horse Bench Road, Jack Canyon, Jack Ridge and Cedar Ridge Roads. Those interested may submit data, views and arguments prior to the meeting, which will be held at 6pm Wednesday at the Commission Chambers in Price.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City officials will discuss plans and specifications at a special meeting Tuesday night concerning the construction of a new fire station in the city. City leaders have already received several bids on the project but have not awarded the low bid due to discrepencies in the structure of the building. At the last city council meeting, councilmembers tabled further discussions on the project until a review of plans, specifications and all bids could be completed. City leaders noted that all bids were in excess of Jones and DeMille Engineering’s estimated costs for the project. The special session will be held Tuesday at 6pm at the City Council Chambers in Richfield. The public is invited to attend but no comments will be taken.