Utah news

• Have an idea for maintaining Foothill trails? SLC officials want input

  13-12-2017 23:23
  
  Salt Lake City officials are seeking public input on developing a plan to help manage the Foothill Trail System.
  
  Read more

• Gov. Gary Herbert unveils $16.7B budget proposal for Utah

  13-12-2017 23:08
  
  Gov. Gary Herbert unveiled his proposed $16.7 billion budget for fiscal year 2019 at the Davis Technical College in Kaysville on Wednesday. The proposal includes no tax hikes and more money for education, air quality and homeless issues.
  
  Read more

• Police investigating road rage incident in Magna

  13-12-2017 22:45
  
  Police are investigating reports of shots fired during a road rage incident in Magna Wednesday afternoon.
  
  Read more

• SLC rock band back with new single after 2-year hiatus

  13-12-2017 22:01
  
  After a two-year hiatus, the Heartless Breakers are back with a new single and plans for a new EP.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• 'The past is the past': Dad forgives imprisoned son who killed stepmother, half sister

  13-12-2017 21:42
  UTAH STATE PRISON — Nathan K. Martinez said he is "baffled" but also "unbelievably grateful" for his father's support.
  In 1994, when Martinez was 17, he shot and killed his stepmother, Lauren Martinez, and 10-year-old half sister, Alexis Martinez, while they were still in their beds. He was arrested three days later in Nebraska and charged with two counts of capital murder.
  At the time of the crime, several people who knew Martinez referenced the movie "Natural Born Killers," noting that h
  
  Read more

• Utah ranks among top states for spending on holiday gifts

  13-12-2017 21:30
  The online printing company Snapfish recently put together a report that identifies where shoppers spend the most for holiday gifts.
  Nine states spend the most amount of money for Christmas at more than $1,000, including Arkansas, California, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Hawaii and Utah, according to the Snapfish report.
  Meanwhile, shoppers in Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Virginia spend the leas
  
  Read more

• Ex FLDS leader Lyle Jeffs sent to prison in food stamp scheme

  13-12-2017 21:24
  SALT LAKE CITY — Opposing attorneys painted starkly contrasting pictures of Lyle Steed Jeffs Wednesday before a federal judge sent the former Fundamentalist LDS Church leader to prison for misusing millions of dollars in food stamp benefits.
  Public defender Kathryn Nester described Jeffs, 57, as a man with sincerely held religious beliefs who tried to take care of a southern Utah community in crisis with his plan to feed people through the government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pro
  
  Read more

• Quiz: How much do you know about Hanukkah?

  13-12-2017 21:15
  
  Many in the U.S. have misconceptions about Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday celebrated at the end of the year. How much do you actually know?
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Judge praises courage of kids victimized by bounce house operator

  13-12-2017 21:04
  HEBER CITY — A judge become emotional Tuesday as she sent a bounce house operator accused of sexually abusing children to prison, noting that if the victims hadn't found the courage to speak up, others may have been harmed.
  "I am shedding a tear because cases like this make me incredibly sad, sad for everyone involved," 4th District Judge Jennifer Brown said.
  While Bryce Johnson, 33, admitted to some of the lesser offenses included in the law, Brown called the case a clear example of groom
  
  Read more

• Say what? This new report says air quality makes Utah the 4th healthiest state

  13-12-2017 20:37
  SALT LAKE CITY — Despite the current, asthma-inducing inversion invading its most populous county, Utah is the fourth healthiest state in the nation, according to a new report that cited improved air quality as one reason the state climbed four places to make the top five in 2017.
  According to the United Health Foundation, only Massachusetts, Hawaii and Vermont fare better than Utah in an array of health markers that include rates of smoking, obesity, children in poverty, cancer deaths, pr
  
  Read more

• This Utah neighborhood just made a Star Wars fan film that’s received national attention

  13-12-2017 20:27
  FARMINGTON — The force is strong with one Utah neighborhood.
  A group of friends and neighbors in Farmington recently made a Star Wars parody film called "The Padawan Trap."
  The film notably parodies both the Star Wars saga and "The Parent Trap."
  The film has received nationwide attention so far, just days ahead of the release of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." This fan-made film tells the story of two sisters — one who is a Jedi, the other a Sith — who meet at Jedi Training Girls C
  
  Read more

• Utah Democrats: Win in Alabama Senate race 'incredibly energizing'

  13-12-2017 20:07
  SALT LAKE CITY — Alabama Democrat Doug Jones' surprise victory in that state's Senate race "is incredibly energizing" for Utah Democrats, a state party official said Wednesday.
  "This really shows Democrats can win statewide in red states. Alabama is one of the reddest sates in the country," said Marcus Stevenson, Utah Democratic Party vice chairman. "We can do this."
  Jones beat Republican Roy Moore in a state that hasn't elected a Democratic senator in a quarter of a century despite suppor
  
  Read more

• Report: Confrontation 'went horribly wrong,' resulting in Taylorsville killing

  13-12-2017 19:10
  
  A woman wanted in connection with the shooting death of a Taylorsville man over the weekend has been arrested.
  
  Read more

• Mistrial declared in Utah gang rape case over lack of jurors

  13-12-2017 18:51
  PARK CITY — A mistrial has been declared in the case of three men accused of gang raping a 9-year-old girl because not enough people showed up for jury duty.
  "It's frustrating," said Utah Courts spokesman Geoff Fattah. "We can't administer justice without jurors."
  Larson Rondeau, 36, Jerry Flatlip, 29, and Randall Flatlip, 26, are charged with rape of a child and sodomy on a child, first-degree felonies. In April, a judge agreed to move the trial to Summit County due to the extensive and i
  
  Read more

• Lyle Jeffs sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison, 3 years probation

  13-12-2017 18:51
  
  A judge sentenced Lyle Jeffs to 57 months in prison and 36 months probation in a food stamp fraud case Wednesday morning.
  
  Read more

• Eastbound I-80 reopens near SR 201 after accident

  13-12-2017 18:40
  
  Eastbound I-80 reopened Wednesday morning after a traffic accident closed it for about an hour, causing heavy delays.
  
  Read more

• FLDS leader Lyle Jeffs sent to prison in food stamps scheme

  13-12-2017 18:24
  SALT LAKE CITY — A federal judge sentenced a former Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Lyle Steed Jeffs to 57 months in prison Wednesday for food stamps fraud and failing to appear in court.
  Prosecutors say Jeffs masterminded a food stamps scheme that resulted in the misuse of $12 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits. Jeffs escaped home confinement and spent a year on the run before being captured in June.
  He pleaded guilty to food stamp fraud and failing t
  
  Read more

• Gov. Gary Herbert unveils $16.7 billion budget proposal for Utah

  13-12-2017 18:18
  KAYSVILLE — Declaring 2018 the "Year of Technical Education," Gov. Gary Herbert on Wednesday unveiled his $16.7 billion budget proposal at the Davis Applied Technology Center, emphasizig a fiscal package that dedicates 72 percent of new revenue to education.
  Herbert's budget plan comes with no tax increase, new money to help the homeless, a funding plan to stave off tuition increases for college students, and a push to put more transportation dollars into mass transit options.
  The proposed
  
  Read more

• FLDS leader Lyle Jeffs sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison

  13-12-2017 18:04
  Deseret News reporter Dennis Romboy is reporting that Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Lyle Jeffs has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison in a food stamp fraud case.
  This story will be updated.
  
  Read more

• What to do if you're arrested or jailed in a foreign country

  13-12-2017 17:39
  
  There have been a few higher-profile cases of Americans trapped in foreign prisons or jails in recent years. Here's what you should do in that situation.
  
  Read more

• Sentencing underway for Lyle Jeffs in food stamp fraud case

  13-12-2017 17:26
  
  A judge accepted Lyle Jeffs' guilty plea and plea agreement with the government during a sentencing hearing in a food stamp fraud case Wednesday morning.
  
  Read more

• Where should you go to buy a used car in Utah?

  13-12-2017 17:00
  Bountiful is the best place to buy a used car in Utah, ranking ahead of Salt Lake City, West Valley, Millcreek and Taylorsville.
  A new report from Autolist.com ranks every city and county in every state for used car affordability. The rankings break down how each city compared within its state and against other U.S. cities. The list also looks at how each state performed compared to other states.
  Utah finished as the 27th most affordable state in the U.S. for used cars.
  The study also identified
  
  Read more

• Police arrest man in connection with hit-and-run death in St. George

  13-12-2017 16:54
  
  Police on Tuesday arrested a man who they say struck and killed a woman in St. George Saturday night.
  
  Read more

• US national parks to slash number of free days for visitors

  13-12-2017 16:38
  
  National parks in the U.S. will sharply drop the number of days they allow visitors to get in for free, a move that was criticized by opponents of the parks' plan to raise entrance costs at other times of the year.
  
  Read more

• Eastbound I-80 closed near SR 201 after accident

  13-12-2017 16:25
  
  Eastbound I-80 was closed Wednesday morning after a traffic accident, causing heavy delays.
  
  Read more

• West Valley man charged with murder in missing man case from 5 years ago

  13-12-2017 16:18
  
  A man accused of brutally killing another man 5 years ago and using a backhoe to bury his remains 7-feet underground, has been charged.
  
  Read more

• Gov. Herbert praises lower corporate rates in GOP tax plan

  13-12-2017 16:00
  
  Utah's governor is coming out in support of a tax overhaul plan from congressional Republicans.
  
  Read more

• Lyle Jeffs to be sentenced in food stamp fraud case

  13-12-2017 15:42
  
  FLDS church leader Lyle Jeffs is scheduled to be sentenced in connection with a food stamp fraud case Wednesday morning.
  
  Read more

• Video shows man ramming squad cars before fleeing in stolen vehicle

  13-12-2017 07:39
  
  Police are searching for a man they say slammed into two police vehicles before fleeing in a stolen car Tuesday morning. A witness recorded video of the incident with his cellphone.
  
  Read more

• 2 Orem elementary schools to merge following school board's unanimous vote

  13-12-2017 07:07
  
  Members of the Alpine School District Board of education have approved a controversial plan to consolidate the student bodies of two elementary schools in Orem.
  
  Read more

• Pinpointing pollution: Introducing KSL’s Air Quality Network

  13-12-2017 06:44
  
  Exactly how unhealthy is the air outside during an inversion? KSL has a new tool to arm you with better information about air quality in your community.
  
  Read more

• Protesters ask Hatch for Hanukkah gift: Funding CHIP

  13-12-2017 05:51
  
  Two dozen protesters gathered with songs, prayers and menorahs on the first night of Hanukkah, urging Sen. Orrin Hatch and Congress to sustain a federal health insurance program for children in low-income families.
  
  Read more

• Salt Lake City Council approves affordable housing 'road map'

  13-12-2017 05:47
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City Council approved a new, five-year housing plan with a focus on affordable homes Tuesday in a unanimous vote.
  "It couldn't have come at a better time," said Councilwoman Erin Mendenhall, at the council's weekly meeting at City Hall.
  The proposal from Mayor Jackie Biskupski is the first five-year strategy since 2000, and it aims to solve an affordable housing shortage in Utah's capital city.
  Biskupski in a statement said the plan will help "build a city wh
  
  Read more

• Photos: Utahns mark start of Hanukkah

  13-12-2017 05:38
  Rabbi Benny Zippel, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch of Utah, lights the menorah at Abravanel Hall Plaza in Salt Lake City on Tuesday to mark the start of Hanukkah. The event was part of the "World's Largest Hanukkah Observance" as 15,000 public menorahs were lit worldwide to symbolize the universal message of religious freedom. The menorah at Abravanel Hall Plaza will be kindled nightly at 6 p.m. on all Hanukkah weeknights, 4 p.m. on Friday and 7 p.m. on Saturday.
  See the world through th
  
  Read more

• Utah teen accused of plotting to shoot girl weighs plea deal

  13-12-2017 05:20
  
  A plea deal is on the table for a teenager accused of encouraging a friend to kill a 14-year-old girl found in a ditch with a gunshot wound to the head, prosecutors and defense attorneys said Tuesday.
  
  Read more

• Utah ranks near top of America's healthiest, least healthy states report

  13-12-2017 04:37
  
  Despite years of efforts to even out health disparities across the United States, some states are dramatically healthier than others, according to a new report, and Utah has taken a top spot.
  
  Read more

• Protesters ask Hatch for Hanukkah gift: Funding Children's Health Insurance Program

  13-12-2017 04:02
  SALT LAKE CITY — Two dozen protesters gathered with songs, prayers and menorahs on the first night of Hanukkah, urging Sen. Orrin Hatch and Congress to sustain a federal health insurance program for children in low-income families.
  "Hanukkah calls on us to be holy in our actions," said Benjamin Luks-Morgan, an organizer with Jewish Action Utah — Bend the Arc. "We want you to make good on your promise to get (Children's Health Insurance Program) funded."
  The Tuesday evening gathering
  
  Read more

• After blistering report, audit shows Utah water use data now 90% accurate

  13-12-2017 04:00
  
  A legislative audit released Tuesday says Utah is doing a better job of tracking water consumption, but there needs to be more effort to monitor secondary water use, push water systems to tiered pricing, and revamp water rates to remove subsidies.
  
  Read more

• Venezuelan judge orders Utah man be tried on weapons charges

  13-12-2017 03:35
  
  A Venezuelan judge ruled Tuesday that a jailed American man must stand trial on weapons charges, dashing hopes of his family in Utah that he would be released and united with them for Christmas.
  
  Read more

• U. to lease 290 beds downtown for student housing

  13-12-2017 03:26
  SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah will lease dozens of apartments in a single complex downtown meet a growing demand for student housing.
  The university's board of trustees approved the lease at its meeting Tuesday, an arrangement that could span four years and will cost the university approximately $800,000 a year.
  The downtown housing - 290 beds - will be located at 343 S. 500 East at a complex named Elevate on 5th.
  The units would become part of the university's housing options an
  
  Read more

• Utah tech business leaders say harassment issues undercut diversity efforts

  13-12-2017 03:22
  SALT LAKE CITY — The recent maelstrom of highly publicized sexual harassment allegations have left few business categories unscathed, but a series of incidents that implicated some mega tech companies, and their CEOs, have cast a pall over an industry already struggling to build diversity in its ranks.
  Amid the turmoil, however, some see an opportunity to take the first steps toward a paradigm shift that could lead to better, fairer and safer workplaces for all, while also boosting the ran
  
  Read more

• Fort Duchesne man faces 12 years for firing gun during chase with federal officers

  13-12-2017 02:32
  SALT LAKE CITY — A Fort Duchesne man who fired a gun during a high-speed chase with Bureau of Indian Affairs officers could spend up to 12 years behind bars.
  Jarvis Charlie Cuch, 28, pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer and possession of a firearm after a felony conviction in U.S. District Court on Monday.
  The chase started after officers tried to pull Cuch over for speeding outside Vernal last December. The pursuit hit speeds in town of 90 mph, and as the fleeing vehicle approac
  
  Read more

• Faculty concerns prompt added patrols at U. Research Park

  13-12-2017 02:20
  SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah police are increasing patrols and implementing other safety measures in Research Park in response to concerns raised by faculty, Margaret Clayton, president of the Academic Senate, told U. trustees Tuesday.
  The changes come after several people spoke out during the open-mic segment of the Academic Senate's regular meetings, Clayton said.
  "For two months in a row, faculty have stood up and indicated some safety concerns, that they felt uncomfortable, espe
  
  Read more

• Utah truck driver helps prevent second wildfire in Weber Canyon

  13-12-2017 02:19
  
  Just weeks after a wildfire charred 619 acres of Weber Canyon, a local truck driver jumped into action to help prevent another blaze.
  
  Read more

• Huntsman family gets annual Road Home fund drive started with $1.2 million donation

  13-12-2017 02:14
  SALT LAKE CITY — With a swipe of a pen, billionaire businessman Jon Huntsman Sr. pledged $1.2 million Tuesday to the Road Home as part of the downtown homeless shelter's annual holiday fundraiser.
  "This check is for $1.2 million," Huntsman said, displaying the check in the studios of KSFI-FM, known as FM 100.3, where he recorded a public service announcement encouraging donations to the Road Home.
  "But those checks for $25 or $50 or $100 are just as important, and they're just as meaningfu
  
  Read more

• Proposed Escalante Canyons National Park proposal a 'bait-and-switch,' environmental groups say

  13-12-2017 01:48
  
  Several environmental groups called the proposed national park in the Grand Staircase-Escalante area a "bait-and-switch" to distract from the Trump administration's attempt to break up the national monument.
  
  Read more

• Ogden couple pleads guilty to trafficking women in prostitution operation

  13-12-2017 01:41
  OGDEN — An Ogden couple accused of alternately providing women with drugs or beating and intimidating them to keep them working in the commercial sex operation they ran out of their home pleaded guilty Monday.
  Lynnsie Reddish, 20, and Terrance Chavez Jones, 31, each pleaded guilty to two counts of human trafficking, a second-degree felony carrying a potential prison sentence of at least one and up to 15 years in prison.
  The four counts are connected to three different women, plea documents
  
  Read more

• Former physician assistant charged with abusing patient

  13-12-2017 01:24
  SANDY — A former physician assistant who is already facing federal charges in connection with the death of a former NHL player now faces state charges accusing him of sexually abusing patients.
  Oscar Couprou Johnson, 62, of Draper, was arrested on Nov. 29. He was charged Thursday with forcible sodomy and object rape, both first-degree felonies. The case was transferred to West Jordan's 3rd District Court on Tuesday.
  According to charging documents, a woman went to the Alta Pain Clinic on S
  
  Read more

• 4 legislators join calls for Utah County commissioner to resign

  13-12-2017 01:21
  PROVO — Additional Utah County elected officials are calling on embattled Utah County Commissioner Greg Graves to resign after an investigation concluded he's widely viewed by county employees as a bully with explosive and vulgar tendencies.
  A handful of state legislators have agreed to sign a letter calling upon Graves to resign, Rep. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, said Tuesday.
  McKell said a copy of the letter has been circulated to Utah County elected officials, and he expects the letter
  
  Read more

• State lawmakers have extra $484M to spend in coming year

  13-12-2017 01:11
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers will have about $484 million extra to spend when they meet in general session next month.
  Consensus revenue figures released by the Legislature and the governor's office Tuesday show an estimated $382.4 million in new ongoing revenue and $101.6 million in new one-time money available for the state general and education funds.
  The revenue estimates come as Gov. Gary Herbert readies his 2018-19 budget proposal for release Wednesday at Davis Technical College i
  
  Read more

Follow @NewslockerUtah on Twitter!