Utah news

• Spread holiday cheer by giving to service providers — not panhandlers, officials say

  11-12-2017 23:54
  SALT LAKE CITY — Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox said whenever he sees a homeless individual on the street, his "first impulse" is to give them something — an impulse he said he likely shares with many other Utahns.
  "We are the most generous state in the nation," he said. But alongside state and county leaders at a news conference Monday, Cox urged people to be careful not to give money, clothing and food directly to someone on the streets.
  "Because we are so generous, people want to go and peo
  
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• Teen charged with raping, killing girl when 15 strikes a plea deal

  11-12-2017 23:14
  SALT LAKE CITY — A West Valley man accused of raping and killing his young neighbor when he was 15 years old struck a deal with prosecutors Monday.
  Jayden Matthew Sterzer, who turned 18 last month, admitted in juvenile court Monday to raping 12-year-old Kailey Vijil in the summer of 2015. He is expected to be ordered to serve time in secure care at a Jan. 19 sentencing hearing.
  Sterzer was originally charged in juvenile court with first-degree felony counts of aggravated murder and rape of
  
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• This viral photo shows toddler signaling for 'help' while sitting on Santa’s lap at Provo mall

  11-12-2017 22:45
  A 12-year-old photo of a young boy sitting on Santa's lap at Provo Towne Centre Mall has gone viral … again.
  The photo gained attention because it showed the boy, who appears a bit anxious over meeting Santa Claus, using sign language to spell out "help" to his parents, according to 11alive.com, an NBC News affiliate.
  "We taught our baby sign language. This is the sign for 'help.' You're welcome," the boy's mother, Kerry Spencer, tweeted with the photo.
  Spencer shares the photo around Chr
  
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• Police find weapons, drugs inside shed in Sunset murder case

  11-12-2017 22:38
  LAYTON — When a 17-year-old boy accused of shooting and killing a 19-year-old man during a marijuana drug deal was arrested, police found a shed filled with weapons and pills, according to recently released search warrant affidavits.
  Three search warrants reveal new details about the investigation into the death of Hunter Woodson.
  On Nov. 21, police say Seth Carreras tried to purchase marijuana from Woodson at Woodson's home in Sunset. When Woodson attempted to sell Carreras spices instead
  
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• Utah's high school graduation rate up 5 years running

  11-12-2017 22:32
  MAGNA — High school graduation rates are up 1 percent statewide, and at Cyprus High School the rate climbed 11 percent between 2016 and 2017.
  According to high school graduation report released Monday by Utah State Board of Education, Cyprus High School's graduation rate climbed to 87 percent, 1 percent above the new state average of 86 percent.
  There's no "secret sauce," says Cyprus High Principal Robert McDaniel. "If I had some secret sauce, I'd be a millionaire."
  But it is an indication
  
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• Three new solar arrays activated at U.’s Research Park

  11-12-2017 22:21
  SALT LAKE CITY — Research Park at the University of Utah has activated several new solar arrays across three locations.
  The installations at facilities at 729 Arapeen Drive, 383 Colorow Drive and 295 Chipeta Way include rooftop, parking canopy and ground configurations.
  The arrays are a combined 1.9-megawatts in size and will offset the energy consumption of the three buildings by a combined 27 percent and contribute to the U.'s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
  "We are excited about the
  
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• Glenn Beck announces new partnership to save Christians from slavery

  11-12-2017 22:19
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Nazarene Fund, an organization dedicated to rescuing, rebuilding and restoring the lives of Christians and other religious minorities from terrorist-controlled regions of the world, has announced a new partnership with Operation Underground Railroad and its CEO, Tim Ballard.
  Nazarene Fund founder Glenn Beck has named Ballard CEO of the fund, joining the efforts of both organizations. Operation Underground Railroad seeks the protect and rescue the world's most vulnerabl
  
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• Tribes: Monument co-management proposal is slap in the face

  11-12-2017 21:42
  
  President Donald Trump's decision to drastically reduce and break up a national monument in Utah wasn't the only blow Native American tribes say they were dealt last week.
  
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• 2-year-old girl killed in shooting accident in Uintah County

  11-12-2017 21:41
  BALLARD, Uintah County — A 2-year-old girl has died in what investigators are calling an accidental shooting.
  The girl was inside her Ballard home on Sunday, according to a statement from the Uintah County Sheriff's Office, "when she was accidentally shot while an older sibling was moving a gun."
  The gun was brought inside the house following a hunting trip the day before and leaned against a wall, according to the sheriff's office. The girl and some other siblings were cleaning up toys wh
  
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• State Sen. Brian Shiozawa resigns for Trump administration post

  11-12-2017 21:36
  SALT LAKE CITY — State Sen. Brian Shiozawa has resigned from the Utah Legislature to take a post in the Trump administration.
  The Cottonwood Heights Republican also is retiring from his career as a doctor to become regional director for intergovernmental and external affairs for the U.S. Department of Health and Humans Services.
  As a presidential appointee, Shiozawa will serve as the "personal representative" of the Health and Human Services secretary in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, N
  
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• Candidate filing period to replace Provo legislator starts Friday

  11-12-2017 21:31
  PROVO — The Utah County Republican Party will hold a special election Jan. 9 to replace Rep. Dean Sanpei, R-Provo, who resigned to take a job in Denver.
  The site of the election has yet to be announced.
  The filing period to become a candidate in House District 63 starts Friday, Dec. 15, at 8 a.m. and closes Monday, Dec. 18, at 5 p.m. Filing instructions will be posted at ucrp.org.
  The Utah County GOP will also announce times for delegates to meet the candidates, including debates.
  
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• 2-year-old killed after sibling accidentally shoots gun in Uintah County

  11-12-2017 21:29
  
  A 2-year-old girl died Sunday after she was accidentally shot by a sibling moving a gun in their home in Ballard, Uintah County.
  
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• Passing .05 percent DUI law helps Utah earn international road safety award

  11-12-2017 21:22
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah will receive an international road safety award Tuesday for using innovative transportation management tools and dropping the legal blood alcohol content for driving to .05 percent.
  The Prince Michael International Road Safety Award will recognize the Utah Department of Transportation, Utah Department of Public Safety, the Utah Legislature and the governor's office in a ceremony in London.
  Rep. Norm Thurston, R-Provo, traveled to England to accept the award.
  "I think
  
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• Man arrested in brutal assault of Orem girlfriend

  11-12-2017 21:15
  OREM — Police arrested a Springville man who they say severely injured his girlfriend in a brutal assault and then left her not knowing if she was dead or alive.
  Kevin Paul Rieske, 28, was arrested Sunday for investigation of attempted murder, aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice and assault on a police officer.
  The incident began when Rieske called for police to conduct a welfare check on a 37-year-old woman in her Orem home. Rieske and the woman h
  
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• Make Your Week: Man returns stolen bike to owner after it was sold to him

  11-12-2017 19:57
  
  The Christmas season often brings out the best in people.
  
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• Joe Bauman: The colors of stars

  11-12-2017 19:45
  Editor's note: Portions were previously published on the author's blog.
  Take a mental trip to a dark site in the western Utah desert, accompanied by a friend who's an experienced star guide, this early June on a clear, cool moonless midnight."Want to see something 10,000 times as bright as the sun?" the guide asks."Sure!""Look directly south," and you peer past the ragged silhouettes of sagebrush toward the glowing bulge of the Milky Way. It’s always a lovely sight, especially now, when it
  
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• Negotiations begin for 'water exchange' key to the Lake Powell Pipeline

  11-12-2017 19:33
  
  Negotiations between state and federal officials began Monday at the Dixie Center St. George looking to give Utah access to water from Lake Powell in exchange for some of its existing access to Colorado River water via the Green River in Wyoming.
  
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• Passing .05 DUI law helps Utah earn international road safety award

  11-12-2017 19:16
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah will receive an international road safety award Tuesday for using innovative transportation management tools and dropping the legal blood alcohol content for driving to .05 percent.
  The Prince Michael International Road Safety Award will recognize the Utah Department of Transportation, Utah Department of Public Safety, the Utah Legislature and the governor's office in a ceremony in London.
  Rep. Norm Thurston, R-Provo, traveled to England to accept the award.
  "I think
  
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• Westbound I-80 reopens at I-215 after multiple crashes

  11-12-2017 18:22
  
  All lanes of traffic have reopened on westbound I-80 at the I-215 west belt ramps after multiple vehicles crashed and at least one rolled off the freeway onto a nearby grassy field.
  
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• Utah's public high school graduation rate up 5 years running

  11-12-2017 17:58
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's public high school graduation rate has increased five years running, according to data released Monday by the Utah State Board of Education.
  Eighty-six percent of students who entered traditional public high schools or public charter schools as freshmen four years earlier graduated last spring, which represents a 1 percent increase over the previous year.
  Moreover, there were year-to-year gains across most ethnic, income and English learner groups. Asian students we
  
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• Vote: Which is Utah's favorite Christmas movie?

  11-12-2017 17:30
  
  For the next two weeks, KSL.com is hosting a tournament to determine which is Utah’s favorite Christmas movie. We’re starting the field with 32 movies.
  
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• Police identify man killed in Taylorsville shooting

  11-12-2017 17:16
  
  Police identified a man Monday who was killed in a shooting at an apartment complex Sunday morning, while a search for three people wanted in connection with the shooting continues.
  
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• Jay's Jokes: Why Russia shouldn't try to interfere with any more sporting events

  11-12-2017 17:05
  A lighthearted look at news of the day:President Donald Trump came to town last week. He was seen grabbing a shopping cart at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Welfare Square and filling it with groceries. He looked out of place, like he was in a produce wilderness. A few more minutes there and he might have declared it a monument.---Trump obviously doesn't do a lot of grocery shopping on his own. He had that look on his face like he knew he had forgotten to bring his debit card.-
  
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• Westbound I-80 closes at I-215 after multiple crashes

  11-12-2017 17:03
  
  All lanes of traffic are stopped on westbound I-80 at the I-215 west belt ramps after multiple vehicles crashed and at least one rolled off the freeway onto a nearby grassy field.
  
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• Op-ed: A strong NAFTA agreement secures jobs for Utah agriculture

  11-12-2017 15:40
  Note from the authors: The following reflects unified support, with shared language, expressed by several states and state departments of agriculture about the importance of keeping NAFTA strong. The authors are unified in their opinions on the importance of NAFTA to Utah's agriculture and food industry. Members of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) are speaking up in their individual states with a similar message.Canada and Mexico are our closest neighbors and
  
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• Self-made Utah knifemaker fights past obstacles to impress History Channel pros

  11-12-2017 07:38
  
  Sometimes it takes the fires of adversity to help us find who we are.
  
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• Photos: Utah coalitions remember Sandy Hook victims five years after deadly shooting

  11-12-2017 06:24
  Nearly 100 people attended a vigil at All Saints Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017, to mark the fifth anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
  The vigil was sponsored by the Utah chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah and members of the Gun Violence Prevention Coalition.
  In 2012, Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children between 6 and 7 years old, as well as six adult staff member
  
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• LDS Church dedicates newest temple in Cedar City

  11-12-2017 05:42
  
  Members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered Sunday for the dedication of the church’s newest temple in Southern Utah.
  
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• 'Christmas I Remember Best' is accepting entries through Wednesday, Dec. 13

  11-12-2017 04:28
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Deseret News' annual Christmas writing contest, "Christmas I Remember Best," is accepting entries through Wednesday, Dec. 13.
  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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• 22-year-old in critical condition after crashing into tree in Midvale

  11-12-2017 03:59
  
  A 22-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition Sunday after police say he lost control of his car, crashed into a tree and narrowly missed hitting a house.
  
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• Waiting for Hatch: Is he indecisive or keeping foes at bay?

  11-12-2017 02:55
  SALT LAKE CITY — Scott Howell, the Democrat who ran against Sen. Orrin Hatch in 2012, said he'll never forget the senator turning to him during a break in a radio debate and talking with finality about what was then going to be his last race.
  "He got all emotional and he goes, 'Scott, this is a historical day,'" Howell recalled. "Then he says, 'You will be the last person to ever debate Orrin Hatch.' I went, 'What?' He looked at me and he said, 'I will never run again. This is it. It's ove
  
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• Police searching for black Ford Mustang in connection with fatal Taylorsville shooting

  11-12-2017 02:52
  
  A 30-year-old man has died after being shot on Sunday morning, according to Unified police.
  
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• Utah firefighters continue to help battle California fires

  11-12-2017 02:47
  SALT LAKE CITY — Nearly 80 Utah firefighters on Sunday continued to battle several blazes ravaging California that forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate.
  Seventy-eight firefighters from 16 agencies in northern Utah — from Layton to Provo — left before dawn Thursday and got to work Friday. After one day of rest on Saturday, crews picked up again Sunday.
  A crew from Unified Fire Authority was helping contain a 4,100 acre fired called the Lilac Fire in San Diego County on Sunda
  
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• About Utah: ’Tis the season to make some green

  11-12-2017 02:03
  SALT LAKE CITY — To a man, they speak of the magic of Christmas, of the joy they see in people's faces, of the warmth that seems to melt cold December days, of the feeling that in their own small way they're helping to make the season bright.
  So is that why they're working overtime during the holidays? Is peace on earth, good will toward men what's motivating them?
  Well, yeah, that and the extra money.
  As the 2017 Christmas countdown hits its stride, the Deseret News reached out to three s
  
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• Report: One-night count of Utah's homeless yields slightly higher total compared to last year

  11-12-2017 01:54
  SALT LAKE CITY — The number of Utahns who are homeless on any given night has increased by 1.6 percent this year compared to 2016, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
  A thorough one night count conducted each year in cities across the state, this year on Jan. 26, discovered 2,852 people who were homeless, the federal agency said in a release last week. Of those, 278 were found to be unsheltered.
  "With rents rising faster than incomes, we need to bri
  
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• Man's attempt to distract police leads to false school shooting tip in Weber County

  11-12-2017 01:13
  
  A traffic stop on Sunday morning led to a false report of a school shooting as a man attempted to distract law enforcement officers, officials said.
  
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• Interior delays Obama-era regulation on methane emissions

  11-12-2017 01:02
  WASHINGTON — The Interior Department said late last week it is delaying an Obama-era regulation aimed at restricting harmful methane emissions from oil and gas production on federal lands.
  A rule being published in the Federal Register delays the methane regulation until January 2019, saying the previous rule is overly burdensome to industry. Officials said the delay will allow the federal Bureau of Land Management time to review the earlier rule while avoiding tens of millions of dollars
  
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• Lehi brothers injured in auto-pedestrian crash ‘doing well,' expected to recover

  11-12-2017 00:41
  
  Two young brothers in Lehi were hospitalized after being struck by a vehicle in a crosswalk as they were heading to a church activity Saturday night, Lehi police said.
  
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• Op-ed: Home visiting programs make a lasting impact

  11-12-2017 00:40
  Even as technology makes our world smaller and more interconnected, we often find ourselves more isolated than ever before. In our busy and sometimes disjointed communities, a nervous first-time mother is much more likely to get a push notification from her phone than a visit from a concerned neighbor. A first-time father may find himself Googling, “Baby won’t stop crying help” because he doesn’t know any other, more experienced, fathers he can ask for advice.Yet, such pe
  
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• Utah's dentist workforce 'overwhelmingly male,' new study states

  11-12-2017 00:33
  LAYTON — When Dr. Jennifer Brown told friends and family she wanted to be a dentist, her mother cried.
  "I felt everybody was really supportive except for my own mom. She was not supportive," Brown said during recent interview.
  She said, "I just want you to be able to focus on having your family."
  Brown assured her that she would have a family. But before becoming a mom of five boys, she graduated from the Creighton University School of Dentistry in 2004.
  She works 14 hours a week in a high
  
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• 2 Lehi brothers hospitalized after being hit by SUV in crosswalk

  11-12-2017 00:02
  LEHI — Two young brothers in Lehi were hospitalized Saturday night after being struck by a vehicle in a crosswalk as they were heading to a church activity, Lehi police said.
  The brothers, ages 8 and 11, are doing well and expected to recover, their father, Nick Lancaster, said Sunday.
  The boys were hit at about 6 p.m. Saturday after they were waved into the crosswalk at 500 W. 700 South by the driver of a vehicle that had stopped, but they were hit by an SUV moving at a low rate of speed,
  
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