Utah news

• Drones used for first time in major search at Grand Canyon

  21-04-2017 23:42
  
  PHOENIX — The desperate effort this week to find two hikers who disappeared at the bottom of the Grand Canyon represented the National Park Service's most extensive use yet of drones in a search-and-rescue mission.The Grand Canyon is the only national park with its own fleet of unmanned aircraft for reaching people who have gotten lost, stranded, injured or killed. Under a program that began last fall, it has five drones and four certified operators.While the aerial search for the two hike
  
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• Check out the Park City penthouse 'Friends' star Lisa Kudrow just sold for $3.6 million

  21-04-2017 23:40
  
  Best known for her role as Phoebe on the hit 90s sitcom "Friends," Lisa Kudrow recently sold her up-class penthouse in Park City for $3.6 million, according to today.com.Originally put on sale almost a year ago for $4.1 million, the condo in the Black Diamond Lodge at Deer Valley winter resort has four bedrooms and six bathrooms. One on-suite bath comes with a heated Whirlpool on a private terrace. Kudrow still owns two multimillion-dollar homes in Beverly Hills, according to variety.com.You can
  
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• Photos: CHG employees celebrate Earth Day by walking to work

  21-04-2017 23:30
  
  See the world through the eyes of award-winning photojournalists. Click through the gallery above to view the unique images our visual storytellers captured today. Don't forget to follow the official Deseret News Instagram account for more photographs and videos from the staff.
  
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• Idea House program seeks to kick-start neighborhood revitalization

  21-04-2017 23:22
  
  SOUTH SALT LAKE — Charles Gardner has seen what 60 years have done to his neighborhood."The porch was open when we bought it," Garner said of his South Salt Lake home. "My wife was afraid someone was going to fall off of it."Gardner, 83, bought the home for $9,500."(I) paid it off after a few years," he said. "Yeah, a lot has changed since then."The cost of buying a house isn't the only thing that's changed."I think that used to be a drug house," Gardner said as he pointed toward the end o
  
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• After-school programs make a difference for kids, community, group says

  21-04-2017 23:20
  
  SOUTH SALT LAKE — A group of young violinists kicked off a summit on after-school programs Friday with a fine rendition of the national anthem.Appropriately, the American Preparatory Academy students learned to play the difficult instrument in an after-school program.The Utah Afterschool Network and Salt Lake Afterschool Regional Network brought about 100 educators, business leaders and local politicians together at the Columbus Community Center to talk about the need for investing in afte
  
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• Allegations against Daggett County Jail 'distressing,' Corrections boss says

  21-04-2017 23:12
  
  MANILA, Daggett County — Calling the allegations against the staff of the Daggett County Jail "distressing," the Utah Department of Corrections announced Friday it would not be returning inmates any time soon.“This case involves multiple, distressing allegations among line staff and command staff in the Daggett County Jail. These are serious, criminal allegations, involving unprofessional conduct and unacceptable correctional practices, which put the inmates and the public in jeopard
  
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• UTA canceled promised bonuses of $474K and $375K for two officials

  21-04-2017 22:31
  
  A few years ago, the Utah Transit Authority caused a public outcry by giving $30,000 bonuses to some top executives - on top of their other compensation totaling more than $300,000 a year each.
  It turns out that was small potatoes.
  Contracts would ha... <iframe src="http://www.sltrib.com/csp/mediapool/sites/sltrib/pages/garss.csp" height="1" width="1" > </frame>
  
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• Spanish Fork parents arrested for rewarding 14-year-old son with pot for good grades

  21-04-2017 22:31
  
  Spanish Fork :A couple have been arrested after allegedly telling police they allow their 14-year-old son to smoke a joint or two of marijuana at night if he goes to class and makes good grades.
  The parents were arrested Tuesday after police served ...
  
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• Hurricane teacher arrested for inappropriate relationship with student

  21-04-2017 22:31
  
  A Hurricane High School teacher and baseball coach was charged Friday for having an inappropriate relationship with a student.Aaron Karl Esplin, 40, of LaVerkin, was arrested Thursday and charged Friday in 5th District court with one count each of ...
  
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• Trump approves federal funding for flood recovery in Northern Utah

  21-04-2017 22:27
  
  President Donald Trump in Friday declared that "a major disaster exists" in Northern Utah after the region was hit by severe winter storms in February.The recovery efforts in the area will receive federal assistance, Trump announced, after February...
  
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• Why Utah slaughterhouse inspections received a D in new report by animal welfare group

  21-04-2017 22:26
  
  There were six times between 2010 and 2015 that animals in a state-inspected slaughterhouse in Utah suffered inhumane treatment, requiring a "noncompliance report" to be filed with the federal government.
  Depending on what group interprets the data, ...
  
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• Mysterious 'private' trust actually is a government body, auditor says

  21-04-2017 22:26
  
  A mysterious trust - which some Utah League of Cities and Towns officials asserted was private and not subject to public scrutiny - actually is a governmental entity that uses taxpayer money, according to a state auditor's report released Friday.
  Tha...
  
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• Huntsman calls for 'inept' U. administrators to be fired

  21-04-2017 22:26
  
  The already-public spat between the Huntsman family and University of Utah administrators broadened Friday in a strongly worded advertisement that appeared in both The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News.In the full-page ad, Jon Huntsman Sr. express...
  
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• New law aims to help job applicants with criminal history

  21-04-2017 22:24
  
  Job applicants who've been convicted of a crime won't have to disclose their criminal record before some job interviews under a new Utah law aiming to help convicts find work after prison.
  The legislation only applies to government jobs, but supporte...
  
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• Bernie Sanders: 'We can win here in Utah'

  21-04-2017 22:15
  
  SALT LAKE CITY — Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders rallied Utah Democrats Friday with the promise the national party will help them overcome Republican dominance in the state."We can win here in Utah," the Vermont independent senator told a cheering crowd of more than 3,000 people filling the Rail Event Center for the Democratic National Committee's "Come Together and Fight Back" tour stop in the state.The Democratic Party "has turned its back" on some states, but "from now on,
  
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• Why Utah's starry nights are the best in the world

  21-04-2017 22:05
  
  The International Dark-Sky Association just confirmed something many Utahns already know: the state has some of the most stunning views of the night sky in the world.The organization, which is dedicated to combatting light pollution across the world, recently named Antelope Island an International Dark Sky Park for its “exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment.” This is the ninth designation Utah has received from the organization for its except
  
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• Why Utah's starry nights are among the best in the world

  21-04-2017 22:05
  
  The International Dark-Sky Association just confirmed something many Utahns already know: the state has some of the most stunning views of the night sky in the world.The organization, which is dedicated to combatting light pollution across the world, recently named Antelope Island an International Dark Sky Park for its “exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment.” This is the ninth designation Utah has received from the organization for its except
  
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• Utah unemployment holds at 3.1 percent

  21-04-2017 21:40
  
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Beehive State continued its streak of robust job growth as nonfarm payroll employment for March 2017 added 45,700 jobs to the economy since March of last year. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 3.1 percent, with current the employment level indicating 1,455,600 Utahns registered as gainfully employed.“Job growth continues at a firm pace, providing additional employment opportunities across multiple industries,” said Carrie Mayne, chie
  
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• Live: Bernie Sanders and Tom Perez speak at unity tour

  21-04-2017 20:44
  
  Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, are in Salt Lake City today as part of a multistate unity tour to rally Democrats around building a stronger party.
  The doors for the rally at the Rail Event Center ...
  
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• Angry Jon Huntsman Sr. calls for ousting of U. president

  21-04-2017 20:40
  
  SALT LAKE CITY — An angry Jon Huntsman Sr. on Friday called for the ousting of University of Utah President David Pershing Friday, saying he "should have been let go a long time ago."Hunstman, still seething about the university's firing earlier this week of Dr. Mary Beckerle, Huntsman Cancer Institute director and CEO, claims the leadership at the school is incompetent and unethical and says the firing was done out of greed.He called on the "people of Utah" to help remove Pershing from hi
  
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• With 3rd event on the way, Salt Lake Gaming Con touts partnership with local comic con

  21-04-2017 20:17
  
  SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake Gaming Con announced its third convention Thursday, the first year that organizers say guests will see the impact of a partnership with the prominent Salt Lake Comic Con.The two-day interactive event is designed to let attendees play in all kinds of ways, with the range of activities planned for Salt Lake Gaming Con including video games, table top and board games, interactive escape room challenges for groups, a dart gun zone and, of course, costumes."The thing
  
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• Provo musician Belle Jewel swings with Postmodern Jukebox in jazzy remake of 'Spiderwebs' by No Doubt

  21-04-2017 20:15
  
  Provo musician Belle Jewel recently made her debut with Postmodern Jukebox, performing a 1940s-styled jazzy remake of “Spiderwebs” by rock band No Doubt.Well-known for its reworking of popular, modern songs into a variety of vintage genres, Postmodern Jukebox, created by pianist and arranger Scott Bradlee, was excited to get Jewel on board.“You will fall in love with (Jewel’s) voice in this sweet 1940s version of No Doubt's 'Spiderwebs,'” the band posted on its Face
  
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• Kirby's Disturbing History: Flying the unfriendly skies can be 'plane' scary - and lucrative

  21-04-2017 19:51
  
  Editor's note :Every Saturday, Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Kirby digs into the past to enlighten and explore the present. Have a story to share? Visit Facebook.com/DisturbingHistory, or email [email protected].
  On July 29, 1906, thousands ...
  
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• Orem man faces new retaliation charges in drone voyeurism case

  21-04-2017 19:10
  
  OREM — An Orem man charged with using a drone to peep inside the windows of Orem residents now faces additional charges for allegedly threatening a witness expected to testify against him in that case.Aaron Dennis Foote, 39, was charged Friday in 4th District Court with retaliation against a witness, a third-degree felony, and five counts of violation of a protective order, a class A misdemeanor.In December, a man gave Orem police a drone that he believed was being used for voyeurism. Dete
  
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• Audit: Mysterious fund tied to Utah League of Cities and Towns should dissolve

  21-04-2017 19:10
  
  SALT LAKE CITY — After monthslong investigations into a mysterious trust fund linked to the embattled Utah League of Cities and Towns, state auditors released an audit Friday determining that the fund contains public money and should have been terminated years ago.Two ex-league leaders, former Director Ken Bullock and former Chief Financial Officer Michelle Reilly — who both stepped down from their positions before a state audit was released that accuses them of misusing public funds
  
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• Hurricane High teacher charged with sexually exploiting student

  21-04-2017 18:25
  
  HURRICANE, Washington County — A Hurricane High School teacher was charged Friday with sexually exploiting a student.Aaron Karl Esplin, 40, of LaVerkin, was charged in 5th District Court with sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony; and sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor.Esplin, a driver's education and special education teacher at Hurricane High, was arrested Thursday after school administrators learned of a possible inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old girl.Inv
  
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• Utah's formerly fastest-growing company files for bankruptcy after federal raid

  21-04-2017 17:32
  
  High-flying Alliance Health of South Jordan has filed for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a raid by federal agents seeking evidence of possible fraud related to the sale of products to government health plans.CEO Jeffrey Smith resigned April 14 afte...
  
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• Utah forecast: Of rain, snow, Earth Day and weekend weather

  21-04-2017 17:32
  
  You don't have to be of the "Snowflake Generation" to appreciate Earth Day, but to be sure, mountain snowfall - and valley rain showers - will underscore the Saturday observance.
  Friday dawned wet, and at higher elevations blustery and white, along t... <iframe src="http://www.sltrib.com/csp/mediapool/sites/sltrib/pages/garss.csp" height="1" width="1" > </frame>
  
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• A.M. notes: The calculus of Chaffetz, Jazz return to SLC for playoffs, China on 'high alert' over North Korea

  21-04-2017 17:31
  
  Here’s a look at the news for April 21.The calculus of Jason ChaffetzJason Chaffetz rose to stardom as the chief antagonist of Democrats as Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, but now he’s leaving.Why?The Deseret News has an exclusive profile today of the Utah Representative, highlighting his early career in politics to the more recent town hall chaos that unfolded early this year.Read the profile at the Deseret News.Playoff fever hits Salt Lake CityThe Utah Jazz will return h
  
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• Interactive art project aimed at atheists, Mormons and Muslims invites religious discussion

  21-04-2017 17:15
  
  Logan :As new faces shuffled through Mikey Kettinger's front door one night, they were greeted by smiling young people wearing black aprons and silver trays, offering gifts of finger food and conversation.
  "Hi, I'm an atheist," Raul Lira said as he ...
  
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• The calculus behind Jason Chaffetz's sudden decision to walk away

  21-04-2017 13:00
  
  SALT LAKE CITY —Jason Chaffetz stood behind the curtain of the high school auditorium, listening to the fire marshal try to calm the crowd. It was early February, just weeks after the inauguration of Donald Trump, and Chaffetz, a five-term congressman, had come to Cottonwood Heights to hold his first town hall since the election.Police had warned him not to bring his family. In secret Facebook groups agitation had been growing for weeks. More than 1,000 protesters stood outside: soccer mom
  
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• Salt Lake City may be one of the hottest job markets for college grads

  21-04-2017 12:40
  
  College graduates in 2017 may want to head to Utah.ZipRecruiter, an employment marketplace website, recently ranked Salt Lake City in the top 20 best job markets.Salt Lake City finished sixth on the list, ahead of Boston; San Francisco; Nashville, Tennessee; and Raleigh, North Carolina.Minneapolis topped the list, followed closely by Kansas City, Missouri; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Indianapolis in the top five.Technology is the top market for Salt Lake City college grads, with t
  
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• Persecution of early Mormons underscores error in U.S. ban of Muslims, LDS legal scholars argue in court brief

  21-04-2017 08:09
  
  The U.S. government once attacked Mormons for their faith, blocked LDS immigrants from entering the country or jailed them at the border. It even tried to coerce some of them into converting to Protestantism.
  It should not make the same mistake with ...
  
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• Mormon church donates $120,000 to help victims of child abuse

  21-04-2017 08:09
  
  West Jordan :On behalf of the Mormon church, four female leaders donated $120,000 on Thursday to community centers in Utah to expand medical services for children who have been abused.
  After a tour of the South Valley Children's Justice Center (CJC)...
  
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• Witty 'Their Finest' goes behind the scenes of the British war propaganda effort

  21-04-2017 08:00
  
  "THEIR FINEST" — 3 stars — Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy, Jack Huston; R (some language and a scene of sexuality); Broadway
  Balancing wit and romance against a life-or-death drama can be a tricky balance. “Their Finest” stumbles a little around the middle, but recovers well enough to produce a satisfying film.“Their Finest” is set in London during the Blitz. The United States is still a year away from entering World War II, and the British Ministry o
  
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• Quiet 'After the Storm' is a meditative study on character and family

  21-04-2017 08:00
  
  “AFTER THE STORM” — 3 stars — Hiroshi Abe, Yoko Maki, Satomi Kobayashi, Sosuke Ikematsu; not rated (probable PG for scattered profanity and some sexual references); Broadway“After the Storm” is a sad but insightful story about a father trying to reconcile his mistakes.Shinoda Ryôta (Hiroshi Abe) is a middle-aged Japanese man who never quite grew up. For a time, he was a successful novelist, was married and had a son, but various vices and emotional short
  
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• 'Lost City of Z' documents a British explorer's real-life quest for a lost South American civilization

  21-04-2017 08:00
  
  “THE LOST CITY OF Z” — 3 stars — Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Tom Holland; PG-13 (violence, disturbing images, brief strong language and some nudity); in general release“The Lost City of Z” is one of those movies that will remind you how good we have it in the 21st century.“City of Z” is the true story of a British explorer who dedicated his life to finding a lost civilization in the Amazon. We meet Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam
  
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• Disney Nature's 'Born in China' is a fun and informative nature doc for kids

  21-04-2017 08:00
  
  “BORN IN CHINA” — 3½ stars — John Krasinski, Zhou Xun; G; in general releaseIn almost every sense, Disney Nature’s “Born in China” is a BBC “Planet Earth” episode for kids.“Born in China” rotates through both seasons and species, following the exploits of selected members of three different animal families as they make their way through a calendar year.The first subject is Dawa, a snow leopard living high in rocky outcrops
  
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• Controversial 'Promise' tries to blend old-fashioned romance and sweeping historical drama

  21-04-2017 08:00
  
  “THE PROMISE” — 2½ stars — Christian Bale, Oscar Isaac, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Charlotte Le Bon, Roman Mitichyan; PG-13 (thematic material including war atrocities, violence and disturbing images, and for some sexuality); in general release"The Promise" is the story of a love triangle set against the Armenian genocide in Turkey during World War I. Its protagonist is an Armenian medical student who arrives in Constantinople to pursue his dreams of becoming a doctor, bu
  
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• Police arrest parents they say gave teen pot to help him in school

  21-04-2017 05:28
  
  SPANISH FORK — Police say parents of a 14-year-old son who allowed the boy to smoke marijuana have been arrested at their home.Edwin Lee Steward and Valerie Steward, both 37, were booked into Utah County jail Tuesday for investigation of felony child endangerment and misdemeanor charges of contributing to delinquency of a minor, marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia possession.The couple told police they allow their son to smoke a joint or two at night if he goes to class and makes g
  
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• 'I might depart early,' Chaffetz says

  21-04-2017 05:00
  
  Washington :Rep. Jason Chaffetz says he may step down early from his House seat, leaving a vacancy that would be filled by a special election that is fuzzy under current state law.
  "I might depart early," Chaffetz told The Salt Lake Tribune on Thurs...
  
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• Salt Lake City - ruled out for bids on Outdoor Retailer - submits bid for Outdoor Retailer

  21-04-2017 02:30
  
  Might as well try.
  Visit Salt Lake submitted an unsolicited bid Thursday to Emerald Expositions, hoping to persuade the owner of Outdoor Retailer to reconsider its decision not to keep the $45 million-a-year trade shows in their longtime home because... <iframe src="http://www.sltrib.com/csp/mediapool/sites/sltrib/pages/garss.csp" height="1" width="1" > </frame>
  
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• Citizen first responders add to Utah's disaster preparedness

  21-04-2017 02:20
  
  SALT LAKE CITY — Cecilia Lesmes organized her team of first responders in the aftermath of a disastrous earthquake that collapsed the dome of the Capitol rotunda.Community Emergency Response Team members began sorting through broken marble and scattered debris, looking for anyone among the many tour groups and visitors at the Capitol who may have been trapped.Lesmes, the team's leader, calmed her nerves as she took charge of the volunteer team, and worked past the sound of screams and crie
  
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• Hurricane High teacher arrested in sexual battery case involving student

  21-04-2017 02:15
  
  HURRICANE, Washington County — A teacher at Hurricane High School was arrested Thursday and accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old student.Aaron Karl Esplin, 40, of LaVerkin, was arrested for investigation of dealing in harmful materials to a minor, sexual battery and exploitation of a minor.Hurricane police were notified by the school that they "had received information of an inappropriate relationship between a 17-year-old female student and her teacher," acco
  
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• Suit over drunken Oktoberfest attack at Snowbird Resort dismissed

  21-04-2017 02:10
  
  A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by three Utahns who alleged Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort's failure to adequately control the sale of alcohol led to their attack by drunken Oktoberfest patrons.
  Third District Judge Matthew Bates scheduled a Tues...
  
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• Setting Utah's Dixie forest on fire - in a controlled way

  21-04-2017 02:10
  
  Prescribed burning that has sparked controversy in past years got under underway again this week on southwestern Utah's Paunsaugunt Plateau.
  Managers of the Dixie National Forest are deploying low-intensity flames to clear fallen limbs and vegetation...
  
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• Rolly: Post praising Tribune's Pulitzer gets moved on BYU fan board

  21-04-2017 02:10
  
  A Brigham Young University alum I know occasionally posts remarks, using a pseudonym, on a BYU sports fan website called "cougarboard."On April 12, he posted a comment praising The Salt Lake Tribune for winning the Pulitzer Prize for its investigat...
  
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• Former classmates raise funds for Utahn injured in London terror attack

  21-04-2017 02:10
  
  Though Melissa Cochran - a West Bountiful woman who broke her leg and lost her husband in a London terrorist attack last month - is back home recovering, former high school classmates are continuing fundraising efforts.
  Melissa Cochran's husband, Kur...
  
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• The U.S. shouldn't ban Muslims like it did Mormons, LDS scholars argue in anti-Trump court brief

  21-04-2017 02:09
  
  The U.S. government once attacked Mormons for their faith, blocked LDS immigrants from entering the country or jailed them at the border. It even tried to coerce some of them into converting to Protestantism.
  It should not make the same mistake with ...
  
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• Utahn badly injured in Russia helicopter crash trying to get home

  21-04-2017 02:05
  
  SALT LAKE CITY — When Dinny Trabert saw an unfamiliar international number on her phone, she knew something was wrong.Her husband had been traveling with a friend to heli-ski in the subarctic conditions of far eastern Russia on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The friend told her on the phone there were "problems with the helicopter," and Mike Trabert — an elite athlete and son of world tennis champion Tony Trabert — was hurt."My heart just sank," Dinny Trabert said. "At that point, I
  
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