Utah news

• ATF head cleared in fatal Sandy TRAX shooting

  19-09-2018 23:48
  SALT LAKE CITY — The head of Utah's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was legally justified when he shot and killed a man near a Sandy TRAX station in March, according to a new report released Wednesday.On March 13, Bryan Keith Liles, 31, of Spanish Fork, was fatally shot just east of the Historic Sandy TRAX Station, near 180 E. 8960 South. Agents from the ATF were looking for another man at the time, when they came across Liles.Witnesses reported hearing multiple shots b
  
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• Wildfires fanned by hot, dry gusts top 100,000 acres

  19-09-2018 23:43
  PAYSON — Crews are making progress toward containing a pair of wildfires south of Spanish Fork despite high, shifting winds and steep terrain, fire managers said Wednesday."We expect a really active day on both fires," said Dan Dallas, operation section chief for the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team. The Bald Mountain and Pole Creek fires together had torched roughly 100,000 acres as of Wednesday morning, and the cost of fighting them has topped $6 million.
  Laura Seitz, Deseret News
  
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• Mesquite detective accused of sexually abusing Utah teen

  19-09-2018 23:30
  
  A veteran Mesquite police detective has a been arrested on charges accusing him of sexually abusing a southern Utah teen he met on a social networking app geared toward gay and bisexual men.
  
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• SLCC Westpointe Center aims to 'close gap' of Utah's workforce needs

  19-09-2018 23:28
  SALT LAKE CITY — As Gov. Gary Herbert's education adviser, Tami Pyfer frequently fields telephone calls from business and industry representatives who are searching for skilled workers."(They say) 'We need more. We need a skilled workforce. We support public education but there's a gap. How can you help us?' I really wasn't prepared for the enormity of the gap and this problem facing our business and industry partners," Pyfer said.On Wednesday, some of those same industry partners joined i
  
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• UTA wants feedback on proposed Flex bus route in Davis County

  19-09-2018 23:20
  BOUNTIFUL — The Utah Transit Authority will hold a public hearing to gather feedback for a proposed Flex bus route to service Centerville, West Bountiful, Woods Cross and Bountiful.The meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 26, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at the Davis County Library's South Branch, 725 S. Main, Bountiful.During the hearing, residents, private transportation providers, public officials and interested agencies will be allowed to comment on the proposed route.Flex buses ru
  
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• North Salt Lake’s fall cleanup set for Oct. 12-14

  19-09-2018 23:11
  NORTH SALT LAKE — The city's fall cleanup is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 12, through Sunday, Oct. 14.During those days, residents can drop off waste at the public works building, 642 N. 400 West. Hours are Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Items such as refrigerators, tires, hazardous waste, paint, lacquer, automotive oil, construction debris, batteries, electronics and televisions will not be accepted.During the cleanup, the city will also be collecting non
  
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• Unified Fire Authority holding CERT class Oct. 6, 13 in Eagle Mountain

  19-09-2018 23:03
  EAGLE MOUNTAIN — The Unified Fire Authority will hold a Community Emergency Response Team class on Oct. 6 and 13.The classes, which teach people to assist others following a disaster when professional responders are not available, will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at City Hall, 1650 Stagecoach Run. Participants must 18 or older. Tuition is $40.In order to graduate, participants must complete online training. For more information, or to register, visit unifiedfire.org.
  
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• Saratoga Springs’ Citizens Police Academy begins Sept. 26

  19-09-2018 22:58
  SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Police Department is gearing up for its next session of the Citizens Police Academy. The eight-week course begins Wednesday, Sept. 26.Participants will be instructed on a variety of topics including use of force, DUIs, crime scene investigation, CPR and emergency vehicle operations.Classes will be held Wednesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Participants must be 18 years or older and reside or work in the Saratoga Springs or Bluffdale. Applicants must al
  
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• Monument reminds hunters of regulations

  19-09-2018 22:55
  JENSEN, Uintah County — Officials at Dinosaur National Monument are reminding hunters that hunting is not allowed within the monument's boundaries.The Lacey Act and the Code of Federal Regulations strictly prohibits the killing or removal of any animal, living or dead, and any animal parts, including shed antlers, from public lands within the monument without authorization. Violators will be prosecuted and are subject to penalties including fines, jail, restitution and the forfeiture of ve
  
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• Utah Climate Week offers host of activities from Logan to Kanab

  19-09-2018 22:51
  SALT LAKE CITY — More than two dozen organizations and businesses will come together Oct. 1-7 to share ideas and innovations during Utah Climate Week 2018.Organized by the Utah Climate Action Network, the week's activities will include nearly 30 events — such as film screenings, exhibits and lectures — from Logan to Kanab."We all have a role to play in turning the tide on climate change," Sarah Wright, executive director of Utah Clean Energy, said in a statement. "Climate chang
  
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• Operation Homefront accepting nominations for military child awards

  19-09-2018 22:48
  SAN ANTONIO — Operation Homefront is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Military Child of the Year, as well as applications for the 2019 Military Child of the Year Award for Innovation.The annual awards will recognize seven outstanding young people ages 13 to 18 who are legal dependents of a service member or military retiree. Six Military Child of the Year recipients will represent a branch of the armed forces — the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and National G
  
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• Alleged big player in Utah drug trafficking charged

  19-09-2018 22:14
  SALT LAKE CITY — Police say a man believed to be a big player in drug trafficking in Utah has been using a car repair business to distribute narcotics.Samuel Soto-Campos, 35, was charged this week in 3rd District Court by the Utah Attorney General's Office with three counts of drug distribution, a second-degree felony.The charges culminate a two-year investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Metro Narcotics Task Force that included phone taps, according to charging documents
  
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• Hatch: Senate hearing on sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh not a trial

  19-09-2018 22:00
  
  Sen. Orrin Hatch outlined Wednesday what he sees as the focus of next week’s possible Senate hearing on the sexual assault allegations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, saying it is not a trial.
  
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• California woman breaks cycling speed record held by men for more than 100 years. Oh, and she did it on the Salt Flats

  19-09-2018 22:00
  SALT LAKE CITY — An American woman on Sunday broke a cycling speed record held by men for more than 100 years.Oh, and she did it on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.As The Washington Post reported, 45-year-old Denise Mueller-Korenek broke a two-decades-old speed record, pedaling 184 miles per hour across Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats.The previous record: 167 miles per hour, achieved by Dutch rider Fred Rompelberg, who hit that top speed mark back in 1995 at the Salt Flats, too.Mueller-Kore
  
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• Senate hearing on sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh not a trial, Hatch says

  19-09-2018 21:44
  SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Orrin Hatch outlined Wednesday what he sees as the focus of next week's possible Senate hearing on the sexual assault allegations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, saying it is not a trial."There is no judge and jury, no predefined burden of proof. Senators must decide what standard to apply in deciding whether Judge Kavanaugh should be confirmed, and we need to find actionable facts and evidence," the Utah Republican wrote in an op-ed for the Washin
  
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• Video: Miss Greater Salt Lake asks bullied student to homecoming dance after classmates pranked him with fake proposal

  19-09-2018 21:35
  SALT LAKE CITY — What began as a bullying incident ended with a giant mic drop.A Taylorsville High teacher shared a video that showed Miss Greater Salt Lake, Dexonna Talbot, asking a boy named Michael to a homecoming dance.The teacher said in the tweet that the student "was recently the target of a bullying incident where some kids decided to make up a fake homecoming proposal."The teacher added, "Well joke's on them because today Miss Greater Salt Lake came and asked HIM to homecoming. Bu
  
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• What does the Cottonwood Mall debate mean for density along the booming Wasatch Front?

  19-09-2018 19:19
  HOLLADAY — Nobody looks out at the former Cottonwood Mall site, with its 57 acres of dirt and asphalt, and thinks this land is achieving its fullest potential. It even blights the satellite view — a great brown spot amid tree-lined residential streets, 5 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.Clark Ivory drives by daily, imagining how satisfying it will feel to finally tear down the old Macy's and signal the arrival of something new."This will be a celebration," said Ivory from the shade
  
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• Badly decomposed body found in Murray

  19-09-2018 19:05
  MURRAY — Murray police say they have a lot of investigation to do to determine how a person found near an easement off I-15 died.A badly decomposed body was found about 8 a.m. Wednesday near the freeway off Winchester Street (6400 South). The body was found in an area that doesn't get a lot of foot traffic and requires a gate to be opened to drive into, said Murray police detective Kenny Bass.Because of the condition of the body, police believe it had been there awhile. Bass said investiga
  
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• Body camera video shows Salt Lake City officer firing on suspect

  19-09-2018 18:53
  SALT LAKE CITY — Body camera video released by Salt Lake City police on Wednesday shows the moments leading up to an officer firing at a fleeing suspect.The officer's shots missed. But the man he was chasing was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a nearby office building.On Sept. 5, police were called to the Homewood Suites hotel, 423 W. 300 South, to remove some "unruly guests" from a room, according to a recording of the call made by the hotel manager to dispatcher
  
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• Fire updates: Pole Creek Fire 28 percent contained, some evacuees return home

  19-09-2018 18:01
  
  Some residents evacuated by the Bald Mountain Fire will be allowed back in their homes Wednesday evening, authorities said.
  
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• Fire updates: Pole Creek, Bald Mountain fires now bigger than Utah Lake

  19-09-2018 18:01
  
  The Pole Creek and Bald Mountain fires have now burned over 100,000 acres — an area larger than Utah Lake.
  
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• Fire updates: Air operations at Pole Creek Fire halted after drone is spotted

  19-09-2018 18:01
  
  Aircrews battling the south end of the Pole Creek Fire were grounded Wednesday afternoon after a drone was spotted in the area, U.S. Forest Service officials said.
  
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• Woman accused of trying to kill man with hammer pleads not guilty

  19-09-2018 17:12
  
  Sasha Michelle Davis, a 21-year-old who is accused of attempting to kill a man with a hammer earlier this year, pleaded not guilty to her charges Tuesday.
  
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• Jay Evensen: Release of Elizabeth Smart's kidnapper raises questions about treatment of mentally ill

  19-09-2018 16:50
  SALT LAKE CITY — Sometime Wednesday (if it hasn't already happened by the time you read this), the prison doors will open and Wanda Barzee, the woman who supported her husband, Brian David Mitchell, as he kidnapped and repeatedly, cruelly abused a then-teenage Elizabeth Smart, will walk free.This was supposed to happen about six years from now, which would have seemed too soon, but Barzee has completed her federal prison sentence, and the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole said it mistakenly
  
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• Elizabeth Smart kidnapper walks out of prison a free woman

  19-09-2018 16:46
  UTAH STATE PRISON — One of the two people who kidnapped 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart in 2002 and contributed to her ongoing sexual and physical abuse, was released from prison Wednesday after serving her entire sentence.Wanda Barzee, 72, walked out of the Utah State Prison sometime Wednesday morning, according to prison officials.Although she has served all of her state sentence, Barzee will now begin five years of supervised release under her federal sentence.She is required to meet immedi
  
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• Study: More than half of car seats installed incorrectly

  19-09-2018 16:30
  
  Utah authorities say more than half of car seats are installed incorrectly, a concerning number given that vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children under age 13.
  
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• Here are the 115 Utah companies listed on the Inc. 5000

  19-09-2018 16:00
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's growing business and tech sectors gained national recognition in one of the top lists in the country.What happened: Back in August, Inc. released its Inc. 5000 list, a lengthy report of the top 5,000 companies in the country. The list unveils the fastest-growing innovators and companies across the country.
  "If entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of an economy, consider Inc.'s ranking of 5,000 companies America's circulatory system," according to the report.The companies
  
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• Covered Bridge evacuees anxiously await fire updates from afar

  19-09-2018 15:02
  
  It has been uncomfortable and unsettling enough for evacuees of the Pole Creek and Bald Mountain fires, who have been able to watch their burning hillsides from a distance.
  
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• In Pleasant Grove, the long-awaited Evermore is finally (almost) ready

  19-09-2018 15:00
  PLEASANT GROVE — An enormous, gothic-style mausoleum made of stone is being erected just off I-15. Halloween will come and go, but the mausoleum is here to stay."There's something beautiful about the architecture, but also kind of creepy," said Ken Bretschneider, the man responsible for the structure. "There's this fun spookiness to it."
  Laura Seitz, Deseret News
  Ken Bretschneider is the CEO of Evermore Park, an Old World, Gothic-styled European village that is opening soon in Pleasant Gro
  
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• In our opinion: 2nd District debate was a welcome show of civility

  19-09-2018 14:00
  Monday night's debate between 2nd Congressional District candidates was a welcome show of civility ahead of what is anticipated to be a cutthroat midterm election across the country, and it's a model voters should look to as they narrow their choices ahead of Nov. 6.Democrat Shireen Ghorbani and incumbent Republican Chris Stewart squared off in a debate that put the focus squarely on the issues. It was devoid of the personal attacks and accusations on display during the 2016 presidential debates
  
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• One of Elizabeth Smart's kidnappers to leave prison Wednesday

  19-09-2018 08:31
  
  Wanda Barzee, one of two people who abducted 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart in 2002, will be released from prison sometime Wednesday.
  
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• As firefighting costs pass $6 million, officials tout success protecting homes in Utah County

  19-09-2018 07:36
  SPANISH FORK — As crews continue to battle the combined fires burning in Utah County, officials said the growing bill has surpassed $6 million.The cost of fighting the Pole Creek Fire has reached $4.7 million. Meanwhile, the Bald Mountain Fire has cost $1.5 million at last report, but "we know it's (now) more than that," said incident commander Todd Pechota.But last week, Gov. Gary Herbert said if the fires reached homes, it could potentially result in "the biggest loss monetarily" in the
  
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• SLC receives $1.9 million federal grant to retrofit homes from earthquakes

  19-09-2018 06:15
  
  Utah received a $1.9 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that will help pay for a $2.55 million project to protect 100 Salt Lake homes from earthquakes, federal officials said Monday.
  
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• Arianne Brown: Remembering Payson Canyon after the devastating fires

  19-09-2018 06:00
  It was early Saturday morning, and it was my birthday. As was custom, I planned out a long run as the one gift I ask for each year. Yet, this year I knew it was wishful thinking. Still, I woke to my alarm, got dressed, packed my bag and stepped out the front door. With one breath, I knew there was no way I would last 20 minutes, let alone 20 miles because the sky was filled with smoke from the Pole Creek and Bald Mountain fires that were burning tens of thousands of acres.So, I stepped back insi
  
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• Thieves snatch purse from shopping cart, target shoppers' home

  19-09-2018 05:41
  
  A Millcreek couple is taking inventory and cleaning up after a purse snatcher turned that theft into an even bigger score.
  
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• Photos: Kennecott Copper Mine getting ready to bring back visitors

  19-09-2018 04:59
  Workers get a giant truck tire ready as Rio Tinto Kennecott employees give a tour of the new visitors area at the Bingham Canyon Mine on Tuesday. Starting in early 2019, guests will be able to visit the open pit copper mine for the first time since the visitors center was damaged in a landslide five years ago. Thousands of people visited the mine each year when the center was open, according to Rio Tinto spokesman Kyle Bennett, and since the center closed the most common questions the company ge
  
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• Commission focuses in on Point of the Mountain traffic as it plans for 2050

  19-09-2018 04:04
  
  Those advising the future of the Point of the Mountain signaled that transportation remains the key issue residents want to be addressed, but those in charge of the project are still trying to figure out what the final plan will be.
  
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• Man sentenced to prison for sex with girl he met on TRAX

  19-09-2018 03:33
  WEST JORDAN — A South Jordan man convicted of trying to rape a 12-year-old girl he met on TRAX was sentenced to prison Tuesday despite protest from the girl's mother, who said her daughter lied to him about her age.Third District Judge Douglas Hogan told Alec Cole Tate, 24, that he is responsible for making sure any sexual partners are of age, even if they give false information about how old they are."Regardless of whether they lie or somebody else lies," Hogan said, "it doesn't change wh
  
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• Point of the Mountain Commission wrangles transportation issues

  19-09-2018 03:05
  SALT LAKE CITY — After nearly two years of work exploring how to plan for and manage ongoing explosive growth, future transportation needs figured largely in conversations at Tuesday's Point of the Mountain Development Commission meeting.Commission member and Draper Mayor Troy Walker, whose city is already discussing potential impacts from a planned wholesale redevelopment of the current, 700-acre state prison site within its boundaries, noted how quickly decision-making deadlines are appr
  
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• State needs to do more to collect $552 million in unpaid taxes, auditor says

  19-09-2018 02:59
  SALT LAKE CITY — State legislative auditors said Tuesday that more should be done to collect unpaid income and other taxes owed that add up to $552 million over the past five years."I was surprised," Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, said after the Utah State Tax Commission audit was reviewed by the Legislative Audit Subcommittee. "It's a lot of money."But both Niederhauser and House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper, said while lawmakers want to ensure the state collects what's ow
  
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• Summit targets new innovations in Utah food production

  19-09-2018 02:47
  SANDY — Sustainable farming.Meatless meat.Personal produce shoppers.For decades, Utah farmers and ranchers have produced food for residents and families across the Intermountain West in much the same manner. But consumer demands have changed over the years, and now local food producers and sellers are working together to find new ways to provide the food today's consumers are asking for."We're trying to find new markets for our producers," said Dale Newton, CEO of the Utah Farm Bureau Fede
  
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• Amid critical audit, board says it may now penalize Utah schools over fees

  19-09-2018 02:06
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Board of Education may start withholding education funding from school districts or charter schools that don't comply with state laws and rules on secondary school fees.That announcement came after the release of a critical new legislative audit that found "widespread violations of state law" by the State School Board and local boards of education, high schools and charter schools in their handling of school fees.State Deputy Superintendent of Operations Sco
  
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• Former USU piano student sues current faculty member for assault, sexual battery; school investigates

  19-09-2018 01:38
  SALT LAKE CITY — A former Utah State University student filed a civil lawsuit late Monday against current piano department faculty member Dennis Hirst, seeking more than $300,000 in damages for alleged sexual assault, sexual battery and other claims.The former student, Jaime Aikele Caliendo, alleges Hirst sexually assaulted her while she was a 17-year-old freshman in 1994, according to the lawsuit filed in 1st District Court in Logan. The Deseret News usually does not identify alleged vict
  
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• As firefighting costs rise, officials tout success protecting homes

  19-09-2018 01:06
  SPANISH FORK — As crews continue to battle the combined fires burning in Utah County, officials said the growing bill has surpassed $6 million.The cost of fighting the Pole Creek Fire has reached $4.7 million. Meanwhile, the Bald Mountain Fire has cost $1.5 million at last report, but "we know it's (now) more than that," said incident commander Todd Pechota.But last week, Gov. Gary Herbert said if the fires reached homes, it could potentially result in "the biggest loss monetarily" in the
  
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• User submitted: Photos show fires in Herriman and Utah County

  19-09-2018 00:51
  
  This week's photo gallery is filled with shots submitted by KSL.com readers of the fires burning around the Wasatch Front.
  
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• Former Utah State piano student sues faculty member for sexual assault and sexual battery; school investigates

  19-09-2018 00:38
  SALT LAKE CITY — A former Utah State University student filed a civil lawsuit late Monday against current piano department faculty member Dennis Hirst, seeking more than $300,000 damages for alleged sexual assault, sexual battery and other claims.The former student, Jaime Aikele Caliendo, alleges Hirst sexually assaulted her while she was a 17-year-old freshman in 1994, according to the lawsuit filed in 1st District Court in Logan.The Deseret News usually does not identify alleged victims
  
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