Utah news

• Hillary Clinton takes swipe at ex-Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz in new book

  08-09-2017 23:40
  SALT LAKE CITY — Hillary Clinton's chief antagonist during his time in the U.S. House apparently didn't make much of an impression on her.In her forthcoming book, "What Happened," the former Democratic presidential nominee writes that she thought she was shaking hands with Reince Priebus on Inauguration Day but figured out later it was Jason Chaffetz.Chaffetz, the former Utah GOP congressman who headed the House Oversight Committee, took a lot of flak on social media for his Instagram post
  
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• SL County gets $368K grant to hire attorneys for Operation Rio Grande cases

  08-09-2017 22:32
  
  Facing a significant caseload following more than 1,000 arrests in Operation Rio Grande, Salt Lake County has been awarded about $368,000 over two years to hire two more attorneys.
  
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• Man critically injured in Magna stabbing; police search for suspect

  08-09-2017 22:17
  
  A 30-year-old man was critically injured after being stabbed multiple times at a gas station Friday morning, police said.
  
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• Lieutenant involved in U. nurse arrest retains counsel

  08-09-2017 21:58
  
  Salt Lake Police Lt. James Tracy, one of two officers placed on administrative leave following the release of body camera video of the arrest of University Hospital nurse Alex Wubbels has retained counsel.
  
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• Uintah Fire caused by downed power line, authorities say

  08-09-2017 21:12
  
  A wildfire that destroyed three homes and three other structures Tuesday was caused by a downed power line, Weber County officials said Friday.
  
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• Man stabbed outside Magna gas station

  08-09-2017 20:55
  MAGNA — A 30-year-old man was in extremely critical condition after being stabbed multiple times outside a gas station Friday.The man, whose name was not immediately released, was stabbed about noon in the parking lot of a gas station at 7210 W. 3500 South.Following the stabbing, the alleged attacker got into a maroon or purple PT Cruiser and drove west on 3500 South, said Unified Police Lt. Brian Lohrke.Based on preliminary investigation, Lohrke said detectives believe the incident may be
  
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• Vigil planned for chickens killed in egg-farm fire

  08-09-2017 20:48
  
  Animal rights activists are planning vigils this weekend to honor the lives of more than 100,000 chickens that were killed when an egg farm caught fire in Tooele County.
  
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• Utah voters could decide in 2018 whether to legalize medical marijuana

  08-09-2017 20:22
  
  Supporters for medical marijuana recently got the green light from the Utah lieutenant governor’s office allowing them to gather signatures needed for a ballot initiative aimed at putting the measure to a vote in the 2018 election.
  
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• Here's what you need to know about the 'strongest in a century' earthquake in Mexico

  08-09-2017 19:44
  The strongest earthquake to strike Mexico in a decade left at least 29 people dead overnight, according to CNN.The 8.1-magnitude quake, which reached from Guatemala City to Mexico City, registered on the southern coast of the country."It's a big quake. It's about 70 miles offshore, but it's not an unheard of quake," Randy Baldwin, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center, told NBC News.Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said the earthquake was
  
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• Rep. Chris Stewart votes against disaster aid, debt limit increase

  08-09-2017 19:39
  SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, voted against a package Friday to provide more than $15 billion in disaster aid for Hurricane Harvey victims, raise the debt ceiling and fund the government for three months.Utah's other two Republican House members, Reps. Rob Bishop and Mia Love, voted for the bill, which passed 316-90."This wasn’t a vote for hurricane relief. I already voted for emergency funding on Wednesday. I voted no because we once again have abandoned our military
  
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• Stewart votes against, Bishop, Love vote for disaster aid, debt limit increase

  08-09-2017 19:35
  SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, voted against a package Friday to provide more than $15 billion in disaster aid for Hurricane Harvey victims, raise the debt ceiling and fund the government for three months.Utah's other two Republican House members, Reps. Rob Bishop and Mia Love, voted for the bill, which passed 316-90. All the no votes came from Republicans."This wasn’t a vote for hurricane relief. I already voted for emergency funding on Wednesday. I voted no because we
  
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• Downed power line started Uintah Fire, officials say

  08-09-2017 19:30
  UINTAH, Weber County — A downed power line is being blamed as the cause of the Uintah Fire that destroyed six structures, including at least three primary homes this week.Weber County announced in a tweet on Friday that a power line sparked the 619-acre wildfire. Additional information was expected to be released at a later time.The fire started Tuesday morning and quickly spread out of control due to strong winds in Weber Canyon. At its peak, more than 900 residents were evacuated from th
  
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• USU professor restores British sports cars during breaks from research

  08-09-2017 19:19
  
  If you've read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" or "Shop Class as Soulcraft," you'll understand why a USU biology professor enjoys restoring British sports cars from the ground up.
  
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• USU professor does British sports car research to escape from biology research

  08-09-2017 19:19
  
  If you've read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" or "Shop Class as Soulcraft," you'll understand why a USU biology professor enjoys restoring British sports cars from the ground up.
  
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• U. partners with pharmaceutical company to investigate link between suicide risk, genetics

  08-09-2017 18:35
  SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah announced a new research and funding partner Friday in its efforts to study the connection between genetic variations and a person's risk for suicide.Janssen Research & Development, a Belgium-based pharmaceutical company, is now onboard with the Utah Suicide Genetics Project, said U. science writer Stacy Kish."Janssen will collaborate with the U. to characterize DNA from people who died by suicide," Kish said in a statement. "The team will jointl
  
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• Westminster president to retire after 36 years at college

  08-09-2017 18:31
  
  Westminster College president Stephen Morgan will retire from his position at the end of the academic year, the school announced Friday.
  
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• Howdy Homemade Ice Cream provides employment opportunities for adults with special needs

  08-09-2017 18:17
  SALT LAKE CITY — Chris Nielson knew if he wanted help for his son, he needed to take matters into his own hands.Nielson’s 21-year-old son, Jack, who has special needs, was graduating from the special education program at Highland High School and was looking for his next step in life. The government helps provide employment opportunities for those with special needs, but Nielson had heard the waitlist to be placed in a job could take as long as two years, and he didn’t want his
  
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• Passion for birds becomes lifelong career for Utah man

  08-09-2017 18:10
  
  This season at the Hogle Zoo has been a tough one for a father and daughter.
  
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• LDS missionaries safe following Mexico quake

  08-09-2017 18:02
  
  All missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in the area impacted by a large earthquake in Mexico are safe, according to a church spokesman.
  
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• Task Force 1 deployment in Houston required creative scheduling for Unified Fire

  08-09-2017 17:01
  
  As Utah Task Force 1 rescued people from Harvey’s floodwaters in Houston, Salt Lake County's Unified Fire Authority had to get creative to fill the void left by 23 of its firefighters who traveled with the unit to Texas.
  
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• Pedestrian hit, injured by car in Salt Lake City

  08-09-2017 15:50
  
  A 36-year-old man was hit and injured by a car in Salt Lake City early Friday, police confirmed.
  
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• In our opinion: Salt Lake City must learn from the tragic case of U. nurse arrest

  08-09-2017 14:00
  A month after a Salt Lake City police officer was caught on video forcibly arresting a hospital nurse during a fit of pique over a blood draw, the city’s police chief promised the department would learn from its mistakes. There are certainly many mistakes to learn from, not the least of which is how the city failed to adequately and openly address the incident before it exploded into a controversy that even the least media-savvy observer could guess would follow release of the video.But lo
  
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• Special needs Utahns find work at Sugar House ice cream shop

  08-09-2017 13:00
  SALT LAKE CITY — Every Tuesday, Brian Parker takes out the trash for his parents. And for the rest of his Sugar House neighborhood."He'll leave generally around 10 o'clock (in the morning), and sometimes it's not until 10 o'clock at night that he gets back," said Edward Parker, Brian's dad.As capable as he is, something's always been missing."I've never had a job where I'd have to be there, check in, stay there until the end of my shift," said Brian Parker, 46.Then he met Heidi Nielson."Pe
  
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• Farmington family seeks help getting dad home following overseas cancer diagnosis

  08-09-2017 06:48
  
  A Utah family who had hopes of spending the summer together in Italy is facing a devastating diagnosis: stage 4 cancer and no way to get their father home.
  
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• With fire largely contained, families OK'd to return to Weber Canyon neighborhood

  08-09-2017 06:21
  OGDEN — Authorities allowed more than 100 evacuated families to return to their homes under a scorched hillside Thursday evening as crews made gains against a fire that charred roughly 1 square mile and tore through five homes earlier in the week.The lift on the last remaining evacuations is tentative, but it still drew cheers and applause from dozens of residents at a community meeting Thursday. They were told to pack a bag and be ready to leave in a half-hour's notice as embers smoldered
  
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• Dreams are soaring for new Utah soccer academy

  08-09-2017 06:15
  
  A one-of-a-kind soccer school is being built in Utah where teens from Utah and around the country can get a shot at their dreams.
  
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• Zion National Park alters program hours

  08-09-2017 05:43
  ZION NATIONAL PARK – After Labor Day weekend, Zion National Park starts to wind down operations hours and programs. The following time changes and closures are in effect:· The Nature Center is closed for the season.· The visitor center, wilderness desk and museum will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.· The Kolob Canyon visitor center will close at 5 p.m.· The Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel will close to over-sized vehicle escorts one hour earlier. Tunnel operations go from
  
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• Zion National Park remains on pace for record visitation

  08-09-2017 05:41
  ZION NATIONAL PARK — New numbers show the stunning red rocks at Zion National Park are on pace to set another record for visits, as park managers consider a first-of-its-kind plan to require reservations.The crowds at Zion continue to stay ahead of last year's record pace. The official July count shows 2.7 million visitors to the park. The park says there were 4.3 million visitors in 2016.Attendance at Zion has risen steadily over the past decade, up about 60 percent since 2010, when there
  
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• BLM seeks input on plan to prevent wildfires, protect sage grouse near Price

  08-09-2017 05:40
  PRICE — Federal land managers want to dig in on a new project to beef up wildlife habitat and protect against wildfires in Carbon County, but they want to hear from the public first.The Federal Bureau of Land Management is proposing to remove pinyon pines and juniper trees near the North Springs Shooting Range southwest of Price.The agency said in a prepared statement the move would guard against severe wildfires, protect sage grouse, draw in prey for raptors and improve winter range for m
  
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• 'Nothing short of heroic': School administrator hails bus driver's actions prior to crash

  08-09-2017 05:35
  
  A school bus driver is being credited with saving the lives of nearly 50 elementary and junior high school students after his school bus collided with an SUV hauling a camp trailer Wednesday afternoon.
  
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• S.L. Chamber of Commerce honors champions, outgoing chairman at awards event

  08-09-2017 03:25
  SALT LAKE CITY — Hundreds of leaders from around the state and representing Utah's business, academic and government sectors joined the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the group's 130th anniversary and recognize outstanding contributions at an awards luncheon on Thursday at the City Creek Marriott.Chamber President and CEO Lane Beattie noted it's the 15th version of the annual event during his time with the organization, whose roots are older than Utah's statehood."It really is
  
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• Over 1,000 arrests made in Operation Rio Grande as 37 new treatment beds open

  08-09-2017 03:10
  SALT LAKE CITY — In its fourth week, Operation Rio Grande's arrests have mounted to over 1,000 — but that wasn't why county leaders were celebrating Thursday.At nearly the same time law enforcement officers conducted a major drug raid of a Salt Lake City home at 6 a.m., a team of lawyers and social workers began work inside the Salt Lake County Jail that has never been done before, Salt Lake County Mayor BenMcAdams announced in a news conference."This," the mayor said, "is phase two
  
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• Evacuation orders lifted as Uintah fire reaches 85 percent containment

  08-09-2017 03:04
  
  All evacuation orders have been lifted in an area where a wildfire destroyed six structures in Weber County earlier this week, fire officials said.
  
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• Hatch draws on Charlottesville, Houston to urge unity in the Senate

  08-09-2017 03:02
  
  Sen. Orrin Hatch contrasted the violence in Charlottesville with the heroism in Houston in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor Thursday urging his colleagues to set aside their differences and work together.
  
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• Hatch, Lee disagree on $15B disaster aid measure, debt limit increase passed by Senate

  08-09-2017 02:40
  WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly backed a $15.3 billion aid package for victims of Harvey, nearly doubling President Donald Trump's emergency request, and adding a deal between Trump and Democrats to increase America's borrowing authority and fund the government into December.Utah Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee disagreed on the bill, with Hatch voting in favor and Lee against.Hatch said he voted for the legislation to get relief to ravaged communities, which he
  
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• Native Utahn to head four-state Homeland Security Investigations office

  08-09-2017 02:39
  SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah native has been named as the new special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Denver.Steve Cagen, a 19-year veteran of federal law enforcement, will oversee 16 offices in Utah, Colorado, Montana and Wyoming.Cagen grew up in Salt Lake City and attended Highland High School where he played football, baseball and hockey. He received his bachelor's degree at the University of Washington.“I’m honored to serve as special agent in charge for
  
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• Woman sentenced to up to 15 years for death of young son

  08-09-2017 02:36
  
  A northern Utah woman accused of killing her 2-year-old son has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
  
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• Advocates say DeVos speech bad for sexual assault victims on college campuses

  08-09-2017 02:34
  SALT LAKE CITY — Local advocates for survivors of sexual assault say college students will be less likely to report attacks in the wake of an address by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Thursday.Speaking at George Mason University School of Law in Fairfax, Virginia, DeVos vowed to replace an Obama administration system of campus assault enforcement that she says is broken for both survivors of sexual assault and those wrongly accused, and "fails all students."Too often the conversation h
  
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• Sen. Mike Lee battles for religious freedom in courts, on Senate floor

  08-09-2017 02:32
  SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Mike Lee says the legal battle over a Colorado baker refusing to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple isn't a public accommodations case."This isn’t a case in which someone refused to sell a pre-made good to someone else based on their sexuality or orientation," the Utah Republican said Thursday at a news conference in Washington, D.C., supporting Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips.Calling it a "compelled speech" case, Lee said the couple asked Phil
  
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• 2 officers, council honored with Tonahuac Awards

  08-09-2017 02:31
  SANDY — Two law enforcement officers and a diversity affairs council were honored at the sixth annual Tonahuac Awards ceremony for their contributions to better the situation of Utah migrants.The awards were presented by United Mexican Federation in Utah (Federacion de Mexicanos Unidos en Utah), a nonprofit organization that promotes the welfare of the immigrant community.José Borjón, the Mexican consulate to Salt Lake City, and Mexican elected officials attended the event Th
  
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• Forget walking or the bus; Salt Lake students canoe to school

  08-09-2017 01:57
  SALT LAKE CITY — Taking a canoe down the Jordan River is one of the more unique ways to get to Northwest Middle School.It may not be the fastest way to school, but Thursday morning, students and teachers were more excited about getting on the water than getting to class on time."It’s great to be able to use a natural resource that’s in the community and get to school that way," said science teacher Dani Bainsmith. "To work with the kids outside of the classroom in that capacity
  
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• Utahns nearly evenly split over President Donald Trump's job performance

  08-09-2017 01:12
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utahns are nearly evenly split over how well President Donald Trump is doing his job, according to a new poll released Thursday.The UtahPolicy.com poll found that 50 percent disapprove of Trump's job performance while 46 percent support the Republican president's actions since taking office in January.That's similar to past results among Utahns and better than Trump is performing in national polls."I think Utahns feel pretty good about where the state is and their own pers
  
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• 106th South interchange to close for 16 days

  08-09-2017 00:47
  SANDY — One of the South Valley's most heavily traveled interchanges is set to close entirely Friday night as crews completely reconstruct it from the ground up.The Utah Department of Transportation announced that the I-15 interchange at 10600 South will close in both directions beginning at 9 p.m. Friday through Sept. 25, with crews working around the clock to finish the $23 million project in a timely manner."They will be working 24 hours a day (throughout) the full 16 days of the closur
  
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• Local artists, craft makers excited to showcase works at Utah State Fair

  08-09-2017 00:40
  SALT LAKE CITY — With a blue first-place ribbon hanging from the musical note-covered front panel of her cabinet, Sarah Provard logged another win in her woodworking career.The cabinet, titled "Musically Inclined," features six drawers with inlays of musical notes from the LDS Church hymn "I Know That My Redeemer Lives," as well as two side panels with piano keys.As the Utah State Fair opened Thursday, the cabinet was featured prominently in the creative arts exhibit.Provard's cabinet prev
  
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• Firm can resume toxic sludge transport from Wyoming to Utah after leaks

  08-09-2017 00:11
  
  The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has allowed a company to resume transporting toxic sludge from Wyoming to Utah after spills last year halted the operation.
  
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• Utah Task Force 1 returns home from assignment in Texas

  08-09-2017 00:05
  WEST JORDAN — It had been a long two weeks for Utah Task Force 1, which journeyed to Houston to assist with rescue efforts after Hurricane Harvey.Members of the group, which was assigned to Houston Fire and EMS for rescue operations throughout the city, returned home Wednesday night. It was not only a trying experience for the team members but also for their families."It's been difficult,” Shauna Lawrence said about not seeing her husband, Steve Lawrence. “He's kind of my stren
  
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