Story Archive for 10/31/2011
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Richfield Planners consider tattoo businesses
Published on October 31, 2011 at 03:58PM
(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.
Sevier Commission approves new assessor
Published on October 31, 2011 at 02:09PM
(RICHFIELD) – The new Sevier County Assessor was administered the oath of office at a special session in a commission meeting today. Commissioners officially approved Amy Garren-Clark of Richfield as the new Assessor, who now fills the position left vacant by the retirement of Gail DeMille this month. Clark says her qualifications will help the county be fair and equitable in assessing tax rates. She was recommended to fill DeMille’s position by the Sevier County Republican Party last week. Clark was chosen among five candidates. She was administered the oath of office by County Clerk Steve Wall at a ceremony at 1:30pm today in the Commission Chambers at the Administration Building in Richfield. The meeting was attended by dignitaries, public officials, Clark’s family and the local press.
Moab Uranium Tailings Cleanup Gets National Award
Published on October 31, 2011 at 11:55AM
(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.
Ex-Polygamous Sect Bishop Goes on Trial
Published on October 31, 2011 at 11:48AM
(ROBERT LEE, Texas)-The Associated Press reports a former polygamous sect bishop accused of marrying an underage girl to jailed sect leader Warren Jeffs goes on trial this week in Texas.
Jury selection for the 75-year-old Frederick Merril Jessop is slated to start Monday in Robert Lee, Texas, about 67 miles outside of Abilene, Texas in the west-central portion of the state.
Jessop is charged with one felony count of performing an illegal wedding ceremony, which occurred at a West Texas ranch compound at Eldorado, operated by the sect in question.
A judge moved the trial 70 miles north of the compound, while Jeffs continues to serve a life sentence in prison he incurred in August after prosecutors used DNA evidence to show he fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl he took as one of his spiritual wives.
3 More Victims of Kansas Grain Elevator Blast Found
Published on October 31, 2011 at 11:39AM
(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.
Massive Smuggling Ring Dismantled in Arizona
Published on October 31, 2011 at 11:30AM
(PHOENIX)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix reports Arizona authorities stated they have dismantled a “massive” drug trafficking ring responsible for smuggling more than $33 million worth of drugs through the state’s western desert every month.
The agencies say the ring is believed to be connected to the Sinaloa cartel, Mexico’s most powerful drug cartel, and that it has been in operation for at least five years.
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers estimate the ring is responsible for smuggling more than 3.3 million pounds of marijuana, 20,000 pounds of cocaine and 10,000 pounds of heroin into the country during this span.
They have estimated the profits at somewhere near $2 billion.
ICE and the Pinal County (Ariz.) Sheriff’s Office arrested 22 suspected smugglers tied to the ring Thursday, the latest of three busts they say have brought it down following a 17-month investigation.
Page Set To Realign Schools Racially
Published on October 31, 2011 at 11:23AM
(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.
Justices Decline Case on Highway Crosses
Published on October 31, 2011 at 11:14AM
(WASHINGTON)-Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a ruling that the placement of crosses on the side of Utah highways to honor state troopers violated the First Amendment’s prohibition on government’s establishment of religion.
As is customary, the court declined to give any reasons for not hearing the case although Justice Clarence Thomas issued a 19-page dissent, stating the court rejected an opportunity to provide clarity to an establishment-clause jurisprudence in shambles.
The crosses in question were donated by the Utah Highway Patrol Association, a private entity, and placed in locations near where troopers had died.
State officials allowed the group to place the crosses on public land while noting the state has no opinion on the memorial markers.
Thomas also wrote the court had erred in not returning to questions raised by atheists stating “one might be forgiven for failing to discern a workable principle” in the court’s establishment-clause decisions.
Failed Heating System Triggers Relocation of SUU Students
Published on October 31, 2011 at 11:05AM
(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.
Redmond man dies from home fire
Published on October 31, 2011 at 11:00AM
(REDMOND) – A Redmond man has died after being pulled from a fire at his home over the weekend. According to a sheriff’s report, 30-year old Dan Quarnberg was dragged from his home by Salina firefighters at about 2:30pm Sunday, in an attempt to escape the flames at his residence at 95 East 200 South in Redmond. Paramedics were able to resuscitate the man and transport him to the Gunnison Valley Hospital. He was immediately lifeflighted to the Burn Unit at the University of Utah, where he was listed in critical condition. The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office said Quarnberg died at the hospital sometime later. Sheriff Nate Curtis said his office wasn’t sure if Quarnberg died from smoke inhalation or his burns. The Utah Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating the fire.
Central Valley man injured in ATV accident
Published on October 31, 2011 at 09:55AM
(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.
Sevier deputies arrest 11 illegal immigrants
Published on October 31, 2011 at 09:06AM
(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County deputies have arrested 11 Mexican Nationals after being caught speeding on I-70 near the Joseph exit on Friday. A sheriff’s report said the driver, Jorge Lopez-Garcia, was transporting the illegal immigrants, when he was pulled over late Friday afternoon. Deputies said Lopez-Garcia attempted to flee the scene but was taken into custody after a short foot chase. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents took ten men and one pregnant woman into custody after it was determined they were in the country illegally. The driver was charged with transporting immigrants illegally.