Utah news

• Petition demanding Commissioner Graves resign delivered to Utah County

  19-12-2017 23:44
  PROVO — The group Alliance for a Better Utah hand-delivered a petition to the Utah County Commission Tuesday morning with more than 300 signatures asking embattled Commissioner Greg Graves to resign.
  Graves did not attend the meeting.
  Allegations that Graves sexually harassed an employee and is widely viewed as a workplace bully with explosive and vulgar tendencies came to light two weeks ago after his fellow county commissioners decided to release documents detailing a complaint against h
  
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• User submitted: Photos show winter sunsets, smog and traffic

  19-12-2017 23:30
  
  Christmas is less than a week away, and we don't have much snow on the ground, but there is still plenty of beauty to celebrate.
  
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• Salt Lake vet attacked, has flag defaced on consecutive days

  19-12-2017 23:19
  SALT LAKE CITY — A retired U.S. Army veteran says on consecutive nights, someone defaced his prized American flag and then attacked him, pouring gasoline on him in the process.
  "I don't understand a single bit of it. I don't," said Tayler Kays, of Salt Lake City. "There's no way you can explain the thought process of someone like that. No one can."
  Kays uses his garage as a place to seek solace and collect his thoughts. Inside, there are several mementos that have deep personal meaning to
  
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• Acid falls off UPS truck, closes S.R. 201

  19-12-2017 22:23
  WEST VALLEY CITY — State Route 201 was closed for about an hour on Tuesday after a package containing formic acid fell off a UPS truck.
  The incident happened just after 11 a.m. The latch on the back door of a UPS truck traveling east on state Route 201 apparently was not secured properly and popped open, said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Royce. A package containing 5 liters of formic acid fell onto the road.
  Traffic was shut down to prevent cars from driving over the acid. Royce said if c
  
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• Utah U.S. House members vote for tax bill; senators expected to follow suit

  19-12-2017 22:17
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's four U.S. House members voted for the sweeping tax overhaul Tuesday, and the state's two senators in the all-Republican delegation are expected to do the same later in the day.
  And all of them say middle-class Utahns will see lower taxes as early as next year.
  Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, called the legislation "monumental" and that lawmakers have "done a pretty darn good job."
  "This is a tax reform package that's going to help people keep more of their money," he said
  
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• Have You Seen This? Piano Guys control 500K Christmas lights with 88 piano keys

  19-12-2017 22:00
  
  In what may be one of their most ambitious videos yet, local favorites The Piano Guys control half a million Christmas lights when Jon Schmidt plays "I Saw Three Ships."
  
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• Experts say masks not a cure-all during winter inversions

  19-12-2017 21:43
  
  When pollution settles over Utah's valleys in the wintertime, sometimes creating the dirtiest air in the country, some residents don breathing masks to protect themselves.
  
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• To combat bad air, UTA fares will be free Friday

  19-12-2017 21:42
  SALT LAKE CITY — Prompted by the heavy, grey smog that blanketed the Wasatch Front last week, city and county officials have scraped together $70,000 so commuters can take public transit for free on Friday.
  "All day this Friday, your ride is on us," Salt Lake City Council Chairman Stan Penfold said.
  Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County and Utah Transit Authority leaders announced Tuesday the launch of "Free Fare Friday," a one-day pilot event this week when anyone in UTA's six-county service a
  
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• SR-201 reopens after formic acid spills from delivery truck

  19-12-2017 21:41
  
  State Route 201 reopened Tuesday afternoon after it was briefly closed when a container holding formic acid fell out of a UPS delivery truck earlier in the day.
  
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• Attackers pour gasoline on Army veteran; American flag spray-painted in separate incident

  19-12-2017 20:52
  
  Salt Lake City police are investigating a home invasion in which a man says he was doused with gasoline before intruders tried to set him on fire.
  
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• Hazardous materials spill closes SR-201

  19-12-2017 20:17
  WEST VALLEY CITY — State Route 201 is closed in both directions at Redwood Road because of a hazardous materials situation.
  Just after 11:30 a.m., a truck was hauling a container of hazardous material, when the container fell off the truck, said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Royce.
  Royce did not immediately know how big the container is or what was in it. But the container was leaking, forcing crews to shut down eastbound state Route 201 at Redwood Road and westbound at 900 West.
  West Vall
  
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• Feds propose modifications to prairie dog management in Utah

  19-12-2017 20:02
  SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing some modifications on how it oversees the management of the imperiled Utah prairie dog, seeking to institute a 10-year plan that governs when the animals may be "taken" if they are interfering with property development.
  The agency released a draft conservation plan Tuesday saying it will issue permits to property owners, developers or government entities such as counties in a streamlined process to mitigate impacts to the ani
  
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• Review: 4 days with the 2018 Nissan Armada Platinum

  19-12-2017 19:59
  
  Nissan's full-size SUV capably combines style, performance and power.
  
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• 2nd teen pleads guilty to attempting to kill 14-year-old girl

  19-12-2017 19:47
  
  A teenage boy accused in a plot to kill 14-year-old Deserae Turner earlier this year pleaded guilty Tuesday.
  
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• Hazmat situation closes SR-201 at Redwood Road

  19-12-2017 19:37
  
  Eastbound lanes of state Route 201 are closed at Redwood Road and westbound lanes are closed at 900 West because of a hazmat situation, according to Utah Department of Transportation.
  
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• Op-ed: Utah is fortunate to have Sen. Hatch

  19-12-2017 19:05
  It’s been a whirlwind month in Utah politics.Air Force One recently touched down in Salt Lake City, where the president signed an executive order to correct decades of federal overreach​ in the management of our public lands. The president’s decision signals a new chapter in the campaign for local control — one in which Utah’s voices will finally be heard.This sweeping action comes on the heels of the most significant tax reform legislation to pass Congress in a gen
  
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• Teen pleads guilty to attempting to kill 14-year-old girl

  19-12-2017 19:03
  LOGAN — A teenage boy pleaded guilty Tuesday to plotting to kill 14-year-old Deserae Turner earlier this year.
  Jayzon Decker, who turned 17 last week, pleaded guilty in adult court to attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony, while the remaining charges against him were dismissed.
  Decker could barely be heard Tuesday as he responded "guilty" to each of the charges and hung his head as the details of the crime were read in court.
  
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• Julianne Hough, David Archuleta, Mitt Romney top Utah’s list of most Googled names in 2017

  19-12-2017 18:46
  We now know who Utahns searched for the most on Google throughout 2017.
  Google recently released its "Year in Search 2017" report that outlined the most-searched and top trending searches from throughout the year. Phrases like "Hurricane Irma," "Matt Lauer" and "Tom Petty" topped the list of most-searched items.
  Using Google's 2017 data report, Dana Rebecca designs, which often designs infographics based on survey data and reports, put together a graphic that displayed each state's top Google se
  
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• Semitruck carrying cattle smashes car in southern Utah

  19-12-2017 18:44
  
  Several cows were killed on Interstate 15 near Kanarraville early Monday morning after the semitruck they were being hauled in overturned. The trailer landed on a car in the next lane, leaving three occupants trapped inside.
  
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• Southbound I-15 reopens after multi-vehicle crash near Lehi

  19-12-2017 17:46
  
  Southbound I-15 reopened after a multi-vehicle crash near 2100 North in Lehi disrupted the Tuesday morning commute.
  
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• Video shows man trying to beat 2 trains in SLC

  19-12-2017 16:30
  
  Utah Transit Authority officials warned pedestrians and drivers Monday about crossing in front of trains, as video surfaced showing a man attempting to beat two trains at a downtown crossing.
  
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• The Clean Cut: Piano controls 500,000 Christmas lights in new video from The Piano Guys

  19-12-2017 16:15
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2IBGlDJ3lgSANDY — A recent video from The Piano Guys shows a 500,000-light Christmas display run by 88 piano keys as pianist Jon Schmidt plays his arrangement of “I Saw Three Ships.”The display used 46,000 watts of power, as well as 4,900 digital channels, "to ensure that the entire spectrum of the piano's keyboard was featured brilliantly," according to The Piano Guys’ website. The page also reveals the video was filmed in the middle of t
  
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• Idaho sheriff deputy mistakenly appears on jail roster

  19-12-2017 16:00
  
  A technical glitch on the Bingham County Jail roster website caused some confusion over the weekend.
  
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• Photos: Annual sing along stokes holiday spirit at Vivint Arena

  19-12-2017 05:59
  Annie Christensen yells for Santa at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City Monday evening. Youngsters and their families joined the West Valley Symphony of Utah to sing Christmas carols as part of the 33rd annual Christmas Carole Sing Along presented by the Larry H. Miller family.
  
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• Deal aims to help sage grouse, ranching survive

  19-12-2017 05:59
  
  In one of the most remote corners of Utah, where the greater sage grouse is hanging on in spite of a long-term trend of declining populations, cattleman Jay Tanner has a favorite slogan: "What's good for the bird is good for the herd."
  
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• Salt Lake panel prefers 2030 Winter Olympics

  19-12-2017 04:45
  SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City is moving toward a 2030 Olympic bid.
  No final decision has been made, but the Olympic Exploratory Committee studying whether Utah should host the Winter Games again is leaning toward a recommendation ahead of its Feb 1. deadline.
  "We're targeting 2030. That's our focus. That's our objective," Fraser Bullock, one of three committee chairmen, said at the panel's Monday meeting at Salt Lake City Hall. The group spoke generally about its coming report, but did n
  
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• West Jordan neighborhood bands together to thwart mailbox thieves

  19-12-2017 04:23
  
  Police are investigating after surveillance video captured a pair of thieves going through mailboxes in a West Jordan neighborhood. Now residents in the area are banding together through social media to protect each other from being victimized again.
  
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• The Gateway slowly transforming into entertainment, business district

  19-12-2017 03:36
  
  Once a retail shop destination in downtown Salt Lake, The Gateway is taking shape with its goal to be an entertainment center. It’s an adjustment anticipated to fully mold over the next few years, but residents may begin to notice more in 2018.
  
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• The secret an 11-year-old kept for his brother during the Vietnam War

  19-12-2017 02:57
  It was Christmas 1967 and our country was in the middle of the Vietnam conflict. Thousands of families had sons and brothers serving their country far from home.
  This family was no different as they prepared for Christmas missing their son and brother, Jeff, who was serving as a Marine on the front lines in the jungles of Vietnam. He was the oldest of three brothers and had joined the Marines right out of high school.
  For the past 11 months, Jeff was on the front lines, the DMZ, in Vietnam. He h
  
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• Christmas I Remember Best 2017: 'The special, secret Christmas surprise'

  19-12-2017 02:57
  It was Christmas 1967 and our country was in the middle of the Vietnam conflict. Thousands of families had sons and brothers serving their country far from home.
  This family was no different as they prepared for Christmas missing their son and brother, Jeff, who was serving as a Marine on the front lines in the jungles of Vietnam. He was the oldest of three brothers and had joined the Marines right out of high school.
  For the past 11 months, Jeff was on the front lines, the DMZ, in Vietnam. He h
  
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• Coalition donating $300K to help build multi-use field at Pioneer Park

  19-12-2017 02:47
  SALT LAKE CITY — There's a reason why police say a man accused of shooting and killing University of Utah student ChenWei Guo headed straight to the Rio Grande neighborhood to ditch his gun, according to Scott Howell.
  "That's the first place he went to — Pioneer Park," the Pioneer Park Coalition member said Monday. "That's the culture. … That's where (criminals) migrate."
  Members of the coalition hope to change the downtown park's reputation for drug dealing, drug use, urban c
  
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• Man accused of slipping meth into woman's drink charged with murder

  19-12-2017 02:32
  MURRAY — A Taylorsville man was charged Monday with murder, accused of causing a woman to fatally overdose by slipping methamphetamine into her drink, possibly to act as an aphrodisiac.
  In addition to murder, a first-degree felony, Joshua Ryan Bridgewaters, 36, is also charged in 3rd District Court with obstructing justice, a second-degree felony, and tampering with a witness, a third-degree felony.
  Stacey Buchanan, 33, died on May 29, 2016. Bridgewaters, Buchanan's boyfriend, told police
  
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• 36 no-show jurors ordered to appear before a judge

  19-12-2017 01:52
  PARK CITY — A judge is ordering 36 people in Summit County to appear in court and explain why they didn't show up for jury duty, prompting a mistrial in a child rape case.
  Each of the no-show jurors is being issued a summons and an order to show cause according to 3rd District Court policy. If they don't respond to the judge's summons, a warrant will be issued for their arrest, Utah Courts spokesman Geoff Fattah confirmed Monday.
  "The judge will likely ask them to give him a reason why the
  
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• Charges: Woman in fatal hit-and-run had double blood-alcohol limit

  19-12-2017 01:30
  TAYLORSVILLE — A woman accused in a hit-and-run crash that killed a 19-year-old pedestrian was driving with a blood-alcohol content that was twice the legal limit, according to charging documents.
  Roxanna Molina, 27, of West Valley City, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with manslaughter, or in the alternative, automobile homicide, both second-degree felonies; leaving the scene of an accident involving death, a third-degree felony; and three infractions including speeding, failing
  
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• Utah to expand diesel pathways program

  19-12-2017 01:24
  OREM — One of the state's high-profile career development initiatives is increasing its reach to Utah County.
  The Governor's Office of Economic Development on Monday announced the expansion of the Utah Diesel Technician Pathways program to include the Alpine, Nebo and Provo school districts. Additionally, Mountainland Technical College and Utah Valley University will join the program.
  Along with the new school districts, Geneva Rock and sister companies W.W. Clyde & Co. and Sunroc have
  
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• Man charged in Salt Lake motel killing

  19-12-2017 01:20
  SALT LAKE CITY — A man was charged with murder Monday in the death of a woman whose body was found in a Salt Lake motel room last month.
  Joshua Valasi Saunders, 37, who is listed in court documents as a transient, was charged in 3rd District Court with the first-degree felony, in addition to obstructing justice and possession of a weapon by a restricted person, both second-degree felonies. Bail has been set at $1 million.
  The body of Mechelle Lindberg, 25, of Pleasant Grove, was found Nov.
  
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• Utah legislative panel advances student civil liberties bill

  19-12-2017 01:03
  
  A legislative panel signed off on legislation Monday to protect civil liberties on Utah's nine public university campuses and to encourage colleges to defend students' constitutional rights.
  
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• Charge upgraded to murder in case of neighbor attack

  19-12-2017 01:03
  SALT LAKE CITY — A woman accused of stabbing her neighbor 12 times in the neck in an unprovoked attack has had her charges upgraded to murder following his death.
  Dyann Mariel Hernandez, 23, of Salt Lake City, was originally charged on Nov. 20 with attempted murder for an alleged assault on Linton Livingston, 67, on Nov. 15.
  The attack on Livingston on his front porch in the 800 block of Arapahoe Avenue left him with neck, head and spinal cord injuries and unable to breathe without medical
  
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• Capitol Reef changing entry fee, campsite reservations

  19-12-2017 00:59
  CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK — Visitors to the park in 2018 will see changes to the entrance fee and the group campsite, as well as to the management of the Fruita developed campground.
  Starting Jan. 1, the entrance fee will increase $5 per vehicle to $15. The additional funds will go to support park projects, improvements and operations that benefit the visitor experience.
  In addition, visitors will be able to book reservations for campsites at the Fruita campground at recreation.gov beginn
  
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• Utah panel OKs bill protecting students' civil liberties

  19-12-2017 00:17
  SALT LAKE CITY — A legislative panel signed off on legislation Monday to protect civil liberties on Utah's nine public university campuses and to encourage colleges to defend students' constitutional rights.
  "If you're tapped into the news, you know that there's been conflicts on college campuses regarding free speech, and we in Utah have a history of our public institutions having policies that unconstitutionally suppress free speech rights and due process rights," said Rep. Kim Coleman,
  
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