Utah news

• U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants acknowledges $1.2M LDS donations

  01-12-2017 23:16
  ARLINGTON, Virginia — With a recent gift totaling $600,000 in cash and commodities, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants is expressing appreciation to the LDS Church for its combined, two-year $1.2 million contribution of money and in-kind donations.“At a time of our greatest need for support, we are grateful to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and all its members for remembering those in need, specifically the refugees and immigrants we service,” said
  
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• Op-ed: On the conflicting emotions of a presidential visit

  01-12-2017 23:07
  Presidential visits to Utah have always been a point of common pride. I am old enough to remember the visits by Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in the '70s and '80s. My father, Ted Wilson, was mayor of Salt Lake City during those times and had a ceremonial role. I remember that as a source of pride for our family.Reagan visited several times and, in a 1982 visit, marveled at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' model of social assistance at the bishops' storehouse, where th
  
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• Biskupski to participate in international climate summit Monday

  01-12-2017 23:03
  SALT LAKE CITY — Mayor Jackie Biskupski and Vicki Bennett, director of Salt Lake City's Department of Sustainability, will participate in the inaugural North American Climate Summit in Chicago on Monday and Tuesday.
  The summit will bring together municipal leaders from across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe to discuss climate change and specific commitments local leaders have made to the Paris climate agreement. The summit is hosted by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate
  
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• Chipotle to donate 50% of sales on Dec. 9 to Toys for Tots

  01-12-2017 22:47
  SALT LAKE CITY — On Dec. 9, from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m., every Utah Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant in the state will donate 50 percent of purchases to Toys for Tots.
  Customers simply need to mention Toys for Tots, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve program that helps make sure less fortunate kids receive gifts on Christmas, to the cashier before payment.
  
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• Delta teen dead, man in custody in apparent DUI crash

  01-12-2017 22:42
  DESERET, Millard County — A 15-year-old girl is dead and an 18-year-old man is in custody following an apparent DUI crash in a rural area southwest of Delta. Early Friday, just after midnight, Millard County sheriff's deputies were called to a report of a man knocking on doors in the Deseret area. The man said he had been in a crash and was asking for a ride, according to a statement from the sheriff's office. When deputies located the crash scene a couple of hundred yards away from the ho
  
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• Skiers can now purchase UTA fare with GoRide app

  01-12-2017 22:40
  SALT LAKE CITY — Bus service to the ski resorts in Big and Little Cottonwood canyons is set to begin Saturday, and the Utah Transit Authority is trying to make it easier for skiers to hit the slopes.
  By using agency's GoRide app, skiers can select "Ski One Way" or "Ski One Way R/Sr," which is a reduced fare for qualified senior citizens or riders eligible for reduced fare. Roundtrip passengers will need to purchase two tickets, one for each way.
  When it's time to ride, skiers and snowboard
  
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• Logan named a Silver Bicycle Friendly Community

  01-12-2017 22:40
  LOGAN — The League of American Bicyclists has recognized Logan with a Silver Bicycle Friendly Community award, joining over 400 communities from across the country.
  The award recognizes the city's commitment to improving conditions for bicycling through investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies. The recognition puts Logan alongside Salt Lake City, Moab, Park City and Provo as the top ranked bicycle friendly communities in Utah
  "We appl
  
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• Outdoor company again wants to sponsor you to pick up litter

  01-12-2017 22:31
  
  Last year, Granite Gear launched its Grounds Keepers program that gave hikers free outdoor gear and a directive to clean up nature. The good news is that they're expanding the roster size this year to 25 hikers, so that more people can participate.
  
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• Trump expected to meet with LDS leaders during Utah visit

  01-12-2017 21:52
  
  Trump is expected to visit with leaders from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Monday when he visits Utah on Monday to announce the shrinking of two national monuments in the state.
  
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• 'Psych: The Movie' was made for its fans

  01-12-2017 21:29
  
  The popular fake psychic detective Shawn Spencer and his partner in solving crime, Gus, will return to the screen in "Psych: The Movie." Come on, son.
  
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• Charges: Truck driver was using cellphone at time of fatal crash near Park City

  01-12-2017 21:26
  PARK CITY — The driver of a semitrailer who plowed into the back of a car while looking at his cellphone, killing one person and leaving a second person paralyzed, has been charged.
  Nathaniel R. Bone, 37, of Midvale, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with "text messaging or email automobile homicide," a second-degree felony; and texting or emailing while driving, a class B misdemeanor.
  Just after midnight on May 27, Bone was driving a semitrailer hauling two tankers of crude oil fro
  
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• Utah Rep. Mia Love proposes to end taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlements

  01-12-2017 20:56
  SALT LAKE CITY — Saying she is "outraged" by the use of taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment cases in Congress, Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, introduced a bill Friday to end the practice.
  "Taxpayers should not be paying to settle these cases just because the accused happens to be a member of Congress," she said. "If someone behaves badly, the consequences to those actions are that person's responsibility and no one else's."
  The legislation comes amid a report Friday that Rep. Blake Farentho
  
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• A guide to 2017 holiday events in Utah

  01-12-2017 20:52
  
  Today is the first day of December, and Christmas is rapidly approaching. It’s time to get festive with all the seasonal events happening around the state this holiday season.
  
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• Utah physician assistant accused of sexually abusing patient

  01-12-2017 19:56
  SANDY — A former physician assistant has been arrested for investigation of multiple counts of sexually abusing a patient.
  And police say there could be multiple victims.
  Oscar Couprou Johnson, 62, of Murray, was arrested Wednesday for investigation of six counts of forcible sodomy, three counts of object rape, forcible sexual abuse and sexual battery.
  Sandy police have been investigating "multiple reports of inappropriate and sexual behavior" by Johnson, according to a Salt Lake County Ja
  
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• Physician's assistant accused of sexually abusing patient

  01-12-2017 19:56
  SANDY — A former physician's assistant has been arrested for investigation of multiple counts of sexually abusing a patient.
  And police say there could be multiple victims.
  Oscar Couprou Johnson, 62, of Murray, was arrested Wednesday for investigation of six counts of forcible sodomy, three counts of object rape, forcible sexual abuse, and sexual battery.
  Sandy police have been investigating "multiple reports of inappropriate and sexual behavior" by Johnson, according to a Salt Lake County
  
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• 15 Utah companies make 'top places to work' list on USAToday.com

  01-12-2017 19:43
  A new list appearing on USA Today celebrated the top places to work in every region of the country.
  Several Utah companies made the list, including Domo, Qualtrics, Pluralsight, BambooHR and Instructure, as well as several others.
  USA Today worked alongside Comparably, a compensation and culture website, which published similar lists in USA Today throughout the last week.
  Thursday's list highlighted the best companies by region, specifically highlighting metro areas with business cultures.
  Fifte
  
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• A.M. notes: Poll says Romney would win Senate, Jazz win fourth straight, Utah suicide numbers jump

  01-12-2017 19:42
  Here’s a look at the news for Dec. 1.Poll says Romney would win Senate seat easilyA new poll from UtahPolicy.com revealed on Thursday that Mitt Romney would defeat Democrat Jenny Wilson in a theoretical matchup for the Utah’s senate seat, assuming Orrin Hatch retires, according to the Deseret News.Romney defeated Wilson in the poll 72 to 21 percent.Hatch, meanwhile, would defeat Wilson 50 to 35 percent in a theoretical matchup.UtahPolicy.com publisher LaVarr Webb said the poll’
  
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• Biologists: Grizzly numbers hold steady around Yellowstone

  01-12-2017 19:40
  
  Grizzly bear numbers in and around Yellowstone National Park are holding relatively steady, according to figures released Thursday, as state wildlife officials begin discussions on whether to hold the first public hunts for the animals in decades.
  
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• Trump's advance team checks out state Capitol

  01-12-2017 19:38
  SALT LAKE CITY — Amid the usual tourists taking pictures in the Capitol rotunda Friday morning, a group of Secret Service agents and other members of President Donald Trump's advance team looked over locations for his upcoming visit.
  The White House has confirmed the president will come to Utah on Monday. Trump is expected to announce new boundaries for the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments at the state Capitol.
  On Friday, the advance team met with Mike Deaver, wh
  
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• Authorities seek public's help in locating Wyoming man last seen near River Heights

  01-12-2017 19:36
  
  Authorities are asking for the public’s help in locating a Wyoming man last seen in northern Utah Wednesday.
  
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• Woman questioned, released in Salt Lake motel killing

  01-12-2017 19:25
  SALT LAKE CITY — A woman wanted for questioning in connection with the killing of a Pleasant Grove woman at a Salt Lake motel has been found and arrested.
  However, Salt Lake police said Friday that after interviewing Kristie Marie Hansen, 26, they do not believe she was a participant in the killing and do not anticipate that charges will be filed against her in connection with the death.
  The body of Mechelle Lindberg, 25, was found about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Gateway Inn, 819 W. North T
  
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• Police find woman, clear her in motel killing

  01-12-2017 19:25
  SALT LAKE CITY — A woman wanted for questioning in connection with the killing of a Pleasant Grove woman at a Salt Lake motel has been found and arrested.
  However, Salt Lake police said Friday that after interviewing Kristie Marie Hansen, 26, they do not believe she was a participant in the killing and do not anticipate that charges will be filed against her in connection with the death.
  The body of Mechelle Lindberg, 25, was found about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Gateway Inn, 819 W. North T
  
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• Teen girl dead, man in custody in DUI crash, police say

  01-12-2017 19:21
  DESERET, Millard County — A 15-year-old girl is dead and an 18-year-old man is in custody following an apparent DUI crash in a rural area southwest of Delta.
  Early Friday, just after midnight, Millard County sheriff's deputies were called to a report of a man knocking on doors in the Deseret area. The man said he had been in a crash and was asking for a ride, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.
  When deputies located the crash scene on a dirt road a couple of hundred yards a
  
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• Ex-National Guard recruiter gets probation in teen enticement case

  01-12-2017 18:57
  WEST JORDAN — A man accused of soliciting sex from a teenage girl he was recruiting for the armed services was given probation this week.
  Kyle Ronald Ivory, 27, of South Jordan, was ordered Monday to complete 36 months of probation for attempt to deal in harmful materials to a minor, a class A misdemeanor. A possible one-year jail sentence was suspended.
  Originally charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, and enticing a minor, a third-degree felony, Ivory pleade
  
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• GOP Rep. Dean Sanpei to resign from Utah House

  01-12-2017 18:47
  SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Dean Sanpei, R-Provo, will resign from the Utah House on Dec. 8 to take a job out of state.
  Sanpei's new position as senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Centura Health requires him to move Colorado. He currently works as vice president of strategy for Intermountain Healthcare.
  House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper, said Sanpei, House chairman of the Executive Appropriations Committee, will be hard to replace.
  "Utah's national recognition for being a well
  
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• Lindsey Stirling, The Piano Guys and 20 other shows coming to Utah in December

  01-12-2017 18:00
  SALT LAKE CITY — Christmas is almost upon us, and that means several fun, holiday shows are coming to the Beehive State, including Mannheim Steamroller, the rollicking music of The Lower Lights and a winter-themed concert from violinist Lindsey Stirling. But Utah's concert lineup also includes nonseasonal shows featuring Dashboard Confessional, Foo Fighters and Lady Gaga, to name a few.Here's a list of 22 shows hitting Utah venues soon. Note: This list is not all-inclusive.Dec. 1 — J
  
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• Person of interest in SLC motel homicide arrested

  01-12-2017 17:44
  
  A woman described by police as a person of interest in relation to a motel homicide Tuesday was located and arrested on unrelated warrants Friday, authorities said.
  
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• Teen dead, man arrested after alleged drunk-driving crash

  01-12-2017 17:16
  
  Deputies found a teen girl dead and arrested an 18-year-old man on suspicion of drunk driving early Friday morning, according to a Facebook post by the Millard Sheriff.
  
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• Woman critically injured after car hits semitruck on I-15

  01-12-2017 15:52
  
  A woman was critically injured when a car crashed into a semitruck on I-15 in South Jordan early Friday morning.
  
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• In our opinion: Addressing mental health concerns is requisite for combating a rise in suicides

  01-12-2017 14:05
  A disturbing new report by a national health organization is forecasting a 10 percent increase in the rate of deaths in Utah in the next decade associated with suicide and drug and alcohol abuse. This comes despite countless efforts to promote suicide prevention and to limit the availability of opioid drugs and to prevent excessive drinking. The report suggests the need here and nationally for a more concerted effort to recognize and treat underlying mental health problems that can lead people t
  
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• The Triple Team: 3 thoughts on Jazz vs. Clippers

  01-12-2017 08:39
  
  Three thoughts on the Utah Jazz getting the most assists in a game of any Jazz team since 2010, Alec Burks' breakout night, and Donovan Mitchell's rave reviews.
  
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• Report: Utah youth suicides jump 141 percent

  01-12-2017 07:59
  
  Researchers studying a spike in teen suicides in Utah found that 18 of the 150 youngsters who took their own lives in a five-year period had recently lost privileges to use their electronic devices such as phones, tablets and gaming systems, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report made public Thursday.
  
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• Syracuse collecting toys for needy children

  01-12-2017 07:00
  SYRACUSE — The city is sponsoring its annual toy donation drive to help bring gifts to children in need this holiday season.
  Residents are asked to drop off new, unwrapped toys in collection bins at City Hall, 1979 W. 1900 South, through Dec. 15.
  Recommended toys include fidget spinners, coloring books and crayons, sketch pads, books, action figures, Legos, basketballs, soccer balls, stuffed animals, jump ropes, board games, yo-yos, dolls or Play-Doh.
  For questions, call 801-825-1477.
  
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• Utah volunteers determined to continue helping Puerto Rico

  01-12-2017 06:55
  
  What began as a text stream among friends wanting to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria blossomed into a full-blown humanitarian effort known as Light Up Puerto Rico. KSL followed the group and saw first-hand the difference they made.
  
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• Driver and passenger, 18 and 17, hospitalized in Kearns crash

  01-12-2017 06:40
  KEARNS — Speed and impairment may have been factors in a crash that sent two people to the hospital with serious injuries, police said.
  The accident happened about 7:30 p.m. at 6200 South and 5600 West in Kearns, said Unified Police Department detective Ken Hansen.
  A white Kia was turning left onto 5600 West when a Ford Expedition broadsided the small car, Hansen said. An 18-year-old driver and a 17-year-old passenger in the Kia were in the hospital with serious and critical injuries, resp
  
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• Herriman boy, 5, found unconscious in bathtub

  01-12-2017 06:34
  
  A 5-year-old boy is in critical condition after his father found him unconscious in a bathtub.
  
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• Here's a list of times U.S. presidents have visited Utah

  01-12-2017 06:33
  President Donald Trump will visit Salt Lake City on Monday, which will mark his first appearance in the state since he became president.
  Trump will visit Utah to announce the reduction of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.
  Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, will be with the president during his time in Utah.
  "I'm thrilled the president has accepted my invitation to come to Utah to discuss critical issues that matter to my constituents," Hatch said Tuesday.
  Hatch spokesman Ma
  
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• 3 seriously injured in crash at crosswalk near Festival of Trees

  01-12-2017 06:18
  SANDY — Three adults on their way to the Festival of Trees at the South Towne Exposition Center were hit and critically injured in a crosswalk.
  A 17-year-old boy driving a red Mitsubishi westbound on 9400 South failed to stop at the crossing signal's red light about 7 p.m., Sandy police reported. Witnesses told detectives the light had turned green for the pedestrians to cross near 800 East, said Sgt. Dean Carriger.
  The three were taken to Intermountain Medical Center in critical condition
  
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• 2 in critical condition after crash in Kearns

  01-12-2017 05:54
  
  Two women were taken to a hospital in critical condition after a car crash near 6203 S. 5600 West on Thursday night.
  
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• Police: 3 hospitalized after being hit by car in Sandy

  01-12-2017 04:35
  
  Three people were in critical condition after being hit by a car near the South Towne Expo Center on Thursday night, police said.
  
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• Op-ed: Abolishing the death penalty is not a 'defense' of society's worst criminals

  01-12-2017 04:05
  A Nov. 16 op-ed addressed an October panel discussion centered around the various issues with the death penalty ("Addressing false assumptions about the death penalty"). The author claims the panel “defended the indefensible” — rapists and murderers. The panel’s purpose was not to “defend” anybody, but to address a broken system and discuss better alternatives. What is indefensible is the perpetuation of a failed policy that doesn’t keep the public safer
  
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• Poll: Romney would win U.S. Senate seat by big margin; Hatch would beat Wilson, too

  01-12-2017 04:03
  
  Utah voters would elect Republicans Mitt Romney or Sen. Orrin Hatch over Democrat Jenny Wilson in next year's U.S. Senate race if the election were held today, a new poll shows.
  
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• State Department calls for Utah man's release from Venezuelan jail

  01-12-2017 03:44
  SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. government has issued another call for the humanitarian release of a former Mormon missionary and Utahn whose health has declined since he was jailed in Venezuela last year.
  Authorities in the South American nation arrested Josh Holt, 25, of Riverton, on June 30, 2016. Holt visited in order to marry a woman he met through online Spanish lessons, and to secure visas for her and her children. His wife Theresa Calena also was being held separately in the capital city
  
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• Woman sentenced to jail for crash that killed her husband

  01-12-2017 02:40
  LOGAN — A woman was sentenced to a year in jail for causing a crash that involved multiple vehicles in a northern Utah city and led to her husband's death last year.
  The sentence was handed down in a Logan courtroom on Tuesday after 43-year-old Eska Miller Bird pleaded guilty in October to a felony charge of attempted manslaughter and misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment.
  Authorities say Bird was speeding through Smithfield in October 2016 when she turned into oncoming traffic. The
  
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• Longtime Salt Lake Chamber president announces retirement

  01-12-2017 02:39
  SALT LAKE CITY — After 15 years in the corner office of the state's largest business organization, Lane Beattie, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and the Downtown Alliance, has announced his planned retirement.
  "I cannot express how grateful I am to have been able to lead this great organization for the last 15 years," Beattie told the chamber's board of directors this week.
  State leaders praised Beattie's leadership and devotion to building up the Utah business community.
  "Lane
  
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• 'Christmas I Remember Best' is accepting entries through Wednesday, Dec. 12

  01-12-2017 02:29
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Deseret News' annual Christmas writing contest, "Christmas I Remember Best," is accepting entries through Wednesday, Dec. 12.
  The Deseret News is asking readers to write original stories about their most memorable Christmas.
  Seven stories will be chosen for publication in the newspaper the week before Christmas, with the final story appearing on Christmas Day. These true-life stories should be original and no more than 800 words. The judges prefer stories that cover a
  
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• DWR seeks help identifying poachers in 3 cases

  01-12-2017 02:28
  
  With hunting season in full swing in Utah, the number of illegal wildlife killings have also picked up. Division of Wildlife Resources officials are asking for the public’s help in identifying several poachers.
  
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• Utah youth suicides jump 141% since 2011; self-harm also up, report says

  01-12-2017 02:24
  SALT LAKE CITY — The number of Utah teenagers lost to suicide per year jumped 141 percent from 2011 to 2015, accompanied by even greater increases in known incidents of self-harm and the number of youths who say they have considered taking their own life, according to a new report released Thursday by the Utah Department of Health.
  The department released the data collected with the help of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address what it calls the "urgent public health pr
  
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• Police: Brian Head Fire revealed bunkers of munitions, survivalist cabins

  01-12-2017 01:59
  CEDAR CITY — Firefighters battling a massive blaze in the mountains of Iron County this summer found themselves facing an unexpected obstacle: An underground bunker, caches of weapons and survivalist cabins tucked away on state and federal lands.
  Crews were 10 days into fighting the Brian Head Fire when on June 27 sounds of small explosions led them to a burned out cabin and a bunker dug into the ground, Iron County Sheriff's Lt. Del Schlosser reported Thursday.
  Inside the bunker was a box
  
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• Photos: Christkindlmarkt gives holidays a German flair

  01-12-2017 01:54
  Marcus Reid, of Hub City Woodcraft in Mt. Pleasant, uses a lathe to carve wooden Christmas trees at the Christkindlmarkt at This Is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City on Thursday. Inspired by world-famous German Christmas markets, Christkindlmarkt SLC offers a holiday shopping and cultural experience from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through Saturday. The market feature 80 vendors selling everything from handcrafted items, toys, ornaments and jewelry. In addition, there will be entertainment,
  
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