Utah news

• Shelter in place lifted at 2 Magna schools after reports of shots fired

  08-11-2017 23:59
  
  Police responded to a location in Magna on Wednesday afternoon after hearing reports that shots had been fired, according to Unified Police Lt. Brian Lohrke.
  
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• Two teens in officer-involved shooting remain hospitalized

  08-11-2017 23:55
  WEST VALLEY CITY — Two teenagers injured in an officer-involved shooting remained hospitalized Wednesday with injuries that were not life-threatening.
  Many questions remained unanswered Wednesday about what led up to the confrontation between an off-duty West Valley police officer and the teen boys at the Village at Rivers Edge complex, 1250 W. 3301 South.
  The confrontation happened about 7:25 p.m. Tuesday. A West Valley police officer who has been with the department for three years but "
  
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• Review: Outdoor products for families this fall

  08-11-2017 23:46
  
  The summer road trip season may have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean family excursions are coming to a halt. Here are some items that might be a good fit for your next outing.
  
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• 2018 calendar shows off Utah’s landscapes

  08-11-2017 23:43
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Geological Survey recently released the 12th edition of its popular Calendar of Utah Geology.
  The calendar features photographs taken by survey staff of the state's geologic wonders with a brief explanation of how and when they formed.
  The 2018 calendars are $4.95 each or $4.25 for orders of 10 or more. They are available at the Natural Resources Map and Bookstore, 1594 W. North Temple. They can also be purchased online at mapstore.utah.gov.
  
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• Idaho Falls man charged with killing 9-month-old son

  08-11-2017 23:42
  IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — An Idaho Falls man has been charged with killing his 9-month-old son last year after the autopsy ruled the death a homicide.
  Robert Lawrence Saad Sr. was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree murder in the September 2016 death of Robert Saad Jr., the Idaho Falls Post Register reported.
  The 30-year-old father called police and reported his son had stopped breathing, claiming the baby had fallen and hit his head, according to charging documents. The baby was take
  
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• Leadership shakeup looming in Utah polygamous community

  08-11-2017 23:29
  SALT LAKE CITY — A polygamous group's waning control of a remote town on the Utah-Arizona border could take another big hit if election results hold in races for mayor and City Council.
  Four nonmembers of the Fundamentalist LDS Church are leading against candidates who belong to the offshoot of mainstream Mormonism, according unofficial results posted on the Washington County elections website.
  The results in the all-mail election in Hildale won't be definitive until a canvass next Tuesday
  
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• Utah launches new DEA strategy to combat painkiller, heroin addiction

  08-11-2017 23:19
  SALT LAKE CITY — Government and community leaders committed to combating painkiller and heroin addiction in Utah launched a campaign Wednesday that they say will be a catalyst for changing the landscape.
  The Drug Enforcement Administration, with a big push from several federal and state politicians, chose the state for its yearlong "DEA 360" program designed to coordinate law enforcement, prevention and treatment efforts to curb the opioid epidemic.
  "I'm just someone who desperately wants
  
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• Herbert? ?appoints? ?new? ?general? ?counsel

  08-11-2017 22:17
  SALT? ?LAKE? ?CITY? — ?Gov.? ?Gary? ?Herbert? ?has?? ?appointed Ron? ?Gordon, executive? ?director? ?of? ?the? ?Commission? ?on? ?Criminal? ?and? ?Juvenile? ?Justice,? ?as? ?his? ?general? ?counsel.? ?The appointment is effective? ?Nov.? ?25.
  The general counsel, who serves? ?as? ?the? ?legal adviser? ?to? ?the? ?governor? ?and? ?his? ?office, also ?advises? ?the? ?governor's? ?Cabinet,? ?acts? ?as legislative? ?adviser? ?and? ?director? ?for? ?the? ?administration,? ?advises? ?on? ?all? ?
  
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• Utah lawmakers propose $4,000 salary stipends for special ed teachers

  08-11-2017 22:16
  SALT LAKE CITY — Qualifying special educators could earn stipends starting at $4,000 annually under a legislative proposal that is similar to bonuses now paid to teachers of mathematics, some science disciplines and computer science.
  The proposal by Rep. Val Potter, R-North Logan, and Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, would cap the stipends at $10,000 a year.
  Potter, addressing the Utah Legislature's Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday, said the stipend is needed to a
  
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• Utah 1st state to get new DEA program to combat ‘devastating’ opioid epidemic

  08-11-2017 21:55
  
  State officials and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency announced Wednesday morning that Utah will be the first to implement their 360 Strategy statewide to combat what they call a “vicious and deadly” heroin and opioid epidemic in Utah.
  
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• Standoff at Midvale hotel results in 3 arrests

  08-11-2017 21:47
  
  Three people were taken into custody following a brief standoff with a SWAT team at a Midvale hotel.
  
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• Congressman-elect John Curtis says he'll be sworn in Monday

  08-11-2017 21:21
  
  Congressman-elect John Curtis said the morning after his election victory that he'll be casting his first votes on behalf of the 3rd District as soon as he's sworn in Monday.
  
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• Husband charged in motorcycle crash that killed his wife

  08-11-2017 20:45
  ROOSEVELT — An American Fork man has been charged with automobile homicide for a motorcycle crash that resulted in the death of his wife.
  Gary Lynn Wagstaff, 67, was charged Wednesday in 8th District Court in Duchesne County with "automobile homicide negligence," a third-degree felony, plus class B misdemeanor charges of drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.
  Shanna Fay Rowley Wagstaff, 55, of American Fork, was injured in a motorcycle crash on Oct. 11 and died as a result o
  
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• Lawsuit between dueling 'dirty soda' companies fizzles

  08-11-2017 20:12
  SALT LAKE CITY — Dueling Utah soda companies Swig and Sodalicious have settled the drawn out trademark lawsuit between them.
  In an agreement filed Wednesday, the companies settled all claims between them and will pay their own attorneys fees, closing the case that has been dragging through federal court since April 2015 and was set to go to trial this week.
  The trademark lawsuit filed by St. George-based Swig Holdings LLC accused Provo's Sodalicious Inc. — and later its five co-owner
  
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• Couple charged in brutal hammer, crowbar attack

  08-11-2017 19:52
  SALT LAKE CITY — A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for a woman and her boyfriend accused of beating the woman's mother and stepfather with a sledgehammer and crowbar and then stealing a large bag of money.
  Samantha Lee Harward, 27, of Santaquin, and Kelvin Edward Tate, 28, of Lehi, were charged last month in 3rd District Court with aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony; two counts of aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; and theft, a second-degree felony.
  Early on the mor
  
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• West Valley man charged in September shooting

  08-11-2017 19:21
  WEST VALLEY CITY — Criminal charges were filed Wednesday against a West Valley man believed to be responsible for a shooting in September.
  Mario Manuel Ruiz, 30, is charged in 3rd District Court with firing a gun causing serious injury and aggravated robbery, both first-degree felonies; plus aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, second-degree felonies.
  About 5 a.m. on Sept. 16, Ruiz went to a West Valley home at 4422 S. Christopherson Drive and demanded his
  
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• 'Dirty soda' Utah court battle ends with legal settlement

  08-11-2017 18:59
  
  Two Utah chains that sell flavor-shot-spiked “dirty sodas” have settled their court battle over the sugary concept that’s grown increasingly profitable in a state where sugar is a common vice, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
  
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• CenterPoint Legacy Theatre director, actor Scott Montgomery passes away at 38

  08-11-2017 17:35
  SALT LAKE CITY — Beloved CenterPoint Legacy Theatre director and actor Scott Montgomery passed away in his sleep at his home Nov. 6 following a tonsillectomy and deviated septum operation. Pending test results may reveal more about the exact cause of his death.He was 38 years old and is remembered as a dear friend and passionate member of the Utah theater community.“I think his death means a great loss because he cared so much about what he put on the stage,” said Holly Reid, a
  
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• Jay Evensen: By now we should understand that homelessness can't be solved quickly

  08-11-2017 17:05
  SALT LAKE CITY —Maybe you’ve seen them — tents and sleeping bags suddenly appearing in places they weren’t before, unkempt people wandering or congregating in neighborhoods once considered far from Salt Lake City’s homeless problem.Salt Lake police detective Greg Wilking recently told the Deseret News that many of the people who caused problems in the Rio Grande neighborhood, site of the city’s main homeless shelter, were not homeless at all.“We suppose
  
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• Vandals splatter paint throughout popular park in Pleasant Grove

  08-11-2017 16:22
  
  A popular park for families in Pleasant Grove was vandalized with paint Sunday night and police are looking for the people responsible.
  
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• 2700 West in Taylorsville reopens after accident

  08-11-2017 16:01
  
  An accident temporarily closed 2700 West in Taylorsville Wednesday morning and left one injured.
  
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• Feds to help Utah put spotlight on dangers of opiates

  08-11-2017 14:33
  SALT LAKE CITY — Federal law enforcers have chosen Utah to take part in a program to combat painkiller and heroin addiction.
  The designation is important for Utah because it is helping the state launch a public relations campaign against powerfully addictive opiates, said Brian Besser, Drug Enforcement Administration district agent in charge. It also encourages law enforcement agencies to meet with prescribers, pharmacists and treatment centers in order to address the problem from multiple
  
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• Website flaw makes 21,000 UDOT Express Pass accounts vulnerable

  08-11-2017 08:05
  
  State IT workers shut down a website Tuesday that was used to manage UDOT Express Pass accounts after they learned the personal information attached to as many as 21,000 accounts was readily accessible to outsiders
  
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• UDOT Express Pass website shut down over vulnerability impacting as many as 21,000 accounts

  08-11-2017 08:05
  
  State IT workers shut down a website Tuesday that was used to manage UDOT Express Pass accounts after they learned the personal information attached to as many as 21,000 accounts was readily accessible to outsiders
  
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• Provo picks first female mayor; longtime Sandy leader ousted

  08-11-2017 07:11
  SALT LAKE CITY — Incumbent mayors in Sandy, Riverton, Taylorsville and West Jordan were lagging behind in votes Tuesday, on track to lose their seats to their challengers.
  That included Tom Dolan, the longest-serving mayor in Sandy's history at 24 years.
  Meanwhile, Provo elected its first female mayor in its 157-year history.
  Leading was Provo School Board member Michelle Kaufusi with 44 percent of the vote to UTA board Vice Chairwoman Sherrie Hall Everett's 33 percent.
  Kaufusi is on track
  
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• Curtis cruises in congressional race, eager to report to work

  08-11-2017 06:34
  PROVO — John Curtis may be serving in Congress as soon as Monday after his win in the special election to fill the 3rd Congressional District seat vacated earlier this year by former Rep. Jason Chaffetz.
  "We did it. Thank you," the Provo mayor said to cheers from supporters gathered in a ballroom at the Provo Marriott less than an hour after the polls in the special election closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
  Curtis promised to work "as hard as possible" every day in Congress "because that's what U
  
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• Officer, 2 juveniles expected to recover after shooting in West Valley

  08-11-2017 06:22
  
  An officer and two others under the age of 18 were shot in a confrontation at a West Valley City apartment complex Tuesday. All three were expected to survive.
  
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• Security flaw may have exposed personal info on 21,000 Utah Express Pass users

  08-11-2017 06:20
  SALT LAKE CITY — A vigilant UDOT Express Pass customer discovered a glaring security breach in the third-party website that manages pass accounts, but state officials don't yet know if the personal information of approximately 21,000 current and former customers has been compromised.
  That information on customers who have purchased passes for accessing HOV lanes includes names and addresses, phone numbers, and credit card information — including the last four digits of account number
  
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• Utah voters approve $800 million in school bond issues

  08-11-2017 06:18
  
  Voters in South Summit School District have rejected a $58.65 million school building bond, and the vote was too close to call for a $106.5 million bond issue proposed by the Ogden School District, according to early results Tuesday.
  
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• Utah voters on track to OK more than $600 million in school bond issues

  08-11-2017 05:54
  SALT LAKE CITY — Voters in South Summit School District have rejected a $58.65 million school building bond, and the vote was too close to call for a $106.5 million bond issue proposed by the Ogden School District, according to early results Tuesday.
  In Morgan County, 52 percent voted for a $49 million school building bond, with 47 percent voting against, with all precincts reporting but the vote considered unofficial.
  With about one-third of the vote reported, voters in Weber, Canyons and
  
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• Thousands of Utahns’ personal, financial information made public due to security flaw

  08-11-2017 05:45
  
  A security flaw discovered on a state website used by tens of thousands of Utahns made their personal and financial info public with just a few keystrokes.
  
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• Curtis celebrates 3rd Congressional District victory, vows to 'work hard as possible'

  08-11-2017 05:29
  
  John Curtis was the winner Tuesday in the special election to fill the 3rd Congressional District seat vacated earlier this year by former Rep. Jason Chaffetz.
  
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• Provo picks first female mayor; Dolan out after 24 years in Sandy

  08-11-2017 05:11
  
  Four incumbent mayors in Salt Lake County were lagging behind in votes Tuesday, on track to lose their seats to their challengers. That included Tom Dolan, the longest-serving mayor in Sandy's history at 24 years.
  
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• Voter turnout tops 37 percent in Salt Lake, 30 percent in Utah County

  08-11-2017 04:44
  SALT LAKE CITY — Voter turnout topped 37 percent in Salt Lake County and 30 percent in Utah County on Tuesday, as 440 races around the state were decided, along with school and municipal bonds and referendums.
  "We need to remember the reason America is extraordinary is because of its cities and towns," said Boyd Matheson, president of the Sutherland Institute, a conservative think tank, discussing the election's potential impacts in local communities and national politics.
  "It's a privileg
  
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• Salt Lake sees 37 percent voter turnout, with boost from 3rd District race

  08-11-2017 04:00
  
  Voter turnout reached an estimated 37 percent in Salt Lake County early Tuesday evening, a boost to the previous estimate of 28 percent. And Clerk Sherrie Swensen remained optimistic that the county would hit 40 percent before the night was done.
  
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• Salt Lake County estimates 37 percent election turnout

  08-11-2017 03:13
  SALT LAKE CITY — Voter turnout reached an estimated 37 percent in Salt Lake County early Tuesday evening, a boost to the previous estimate of 28 percent.
  County Clerk Sherrie Swensen remained optimistic that the county would hit 40 percent voter turnout.
  "The ballots were coming in so slowly at the end of last week," Swensen said. "People just weren't returning their ballots."
  Thousands of voters cast ballots at voting centers in the county Tuesday, she explained. Thousands more previously
  
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• Huntsman Cancer Institute study delves into reasons why preventive drug is effective

  08-11-2017 02:35
  SALT LAKE CITY — A potent preventive treatment for people at enormous risk of colorectal cancer works not only by preventing new precancerous polyps from growing, but by causing existing ones to recede, according to findings published this week by Huntsman Cancer Institute researchers.
  The findings are the latest in the institute's line of research into how to prevent colorectal cancer among the 1-in-10,000 people who inherit a condition called familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).
  "This i
  
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• Man charged as teen with murder in 2005 still hasn't been located

  08-11-2017 02:15
  WEST VALLEY CITY — A man who was charged with murder 12 years ago in juvenile court now faces the same charge in adult court.
  But the man hasn't been located since the original charge was filed in 2005.
  Angel Ortiz, 27, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony, and a $1 million warrant was issued for his arrest.
  In 2005 when Ortiz was 15, Jeremiah Allred got into an argument with his estranged wife, who is Ortiz's sister. Allred was driving his car along
  
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• Sego Lily Dam project combines art and history with disaster prevention

  08-11-2017 02:12
  SALT LAKE CITY — Sometimes life imitates art, but occasionally an artist's vision can depict real-life history.
  Environmental architect and landscape designer Patricia Johanson didn't grow up in Utah, but she has become an amateur historian of the state's rich Mormon culture.
  It was that intellectual curiosity that inspired her to create a history-telling artistic rendering of the early pioneer trek into the Salt Lake Valley by designing and supervising construction of the Sego Lily at Sug
  
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• Tax hearing for Riverton law enforcement set for Nov. 14

  08-11-2017 02:10
  RIVERTON — The public is invited to a hearing on proposed property tax increases for the newly created Riverton Law Enforcement Service Area.
  The district was created to collect property taxes to pay for law enforcement services after the city withdrew from the Salt Lake Valley Law Enforcement Service Area. Police services will still be provided by the Unified Police Department.
  The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, at Riverton City Hall, 12830 S. 1700 West.
  According to the
  
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• Waste and recycling district sets hearing on 2018 budget, fee increases

  08-11-2017 01:49
  MIDVALE — The administrative control board of the Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling District will hold a public hearing on fee increases in the 2018 budget.
  The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at the Salt Lake County Public Works Administration Building, 604 W. 6960 South.
  The district is proposing that the residential base rate be increased to $17 per month and the fee for additional refuse cans be raised to $17 per month. The budget also calls for a $3 per month fee on
  
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• Was dog at center of Santaquin euthanasia controversy poisoned?

  08-11-2017 01:42
  SANTAQUIN — Police are investigating whether a dog at the center of a controversy involving a city ordinance and euthanasia was recently poisoned.
  Dexter, a 5-year-old Australian shepherd, was taken to West Mountain Veterinary Hospital in Payson on Nov. 1 after owner Lindsy Bray noticed bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
  "The veterinarian's report stated that the dog's symptoms suggested possible ingestion of d-CON or rat poison," according to a statement from the Humane Society of Utah.
  "Pleas
  
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• Jury finds deputy didn't violate woman's rights when he shot her

  08-11-2017 01:38
  FARMINGTON — A jury has ruled that a Morgan County sheriff's sergeant didn't violate a woman's rights when he shot her in the eye five years ago.
  The lawsuit filed by Kristine Biggs Johnson, who lost sight in her left eye in the shooting, went before a jury in 2nd District Court last month. After a five-day trial, jurors on Oct. 27 rejected Johnson's claim that Sgt. Daniel Peay had violated her rights under the Utah Constitution when he pulled the trigger, according to court documents.
  Joh
  
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• Salt Lake Mayor Jackie Biskupski names senior adviser for education

  08-11-2017 01:37
  SALT LAKE CITY — Angela Doan, who has experience as a classroom teacher, advocate and attorney, has been named senior adviser for education by Mayor Jackie Biskupski.
  Doan, who taught at Salt Lake City School District's Edison Elementary under a Title I school improvement grant, herself is a product of Salt Lake schools.
  "While I was teaching, I clearly saw gaps between laws and policies and what was actually happening in classrooms, and I could not be more excited to use my skills to supp
  
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• Charges filed against Salt Lake man shot by homeowner in June

  08-11-2017 01:37
  RIVERTON — An intoxicated man who was shot by a homeowner in June was charged Tuesday with burglarizing the home, threatening the man's family and refusing to back down.
  Derek Palmer, 36, of Salt Lake City, is charged in 3rd District Court with burglary, a second-degree felony; aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; two counts of lewdness, a class B misdemeanor; plus intoxication and disorderly conduct, class C misdemeanors.
  In June, Palmer went to a friend's house to visit. But he bec
  
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• Is there caffeine in chocolate?

  08-11-2017 00:42
  
  'Tis the season to settle the debate, with a bit of explanation.
  
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• Salt Lake City mayor appoints education adviser

  08-11-2017 00:19
  SALT LAKE CITY — Mayor Jackie Biskupski has appointed education and law expert Angela Doan as senior adviser for education.
  Doan has extensive experience in education and law, most notably her four years teaching at Edison Elementary under a Title I school improvement grant, where she led the fourth-grade class as team leader.
  As the mayor's education adviser, Doan will focus on early childhood education, dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline, and ensuring Salt Lake City's diverse stud
  
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