Utah news

• Larry Pressler: My report from Washington this week in 4 parts

  05-01-2018 23:21
  My wife Harriet and I join in sending our condolences to the family of President Thomas S. Monson. Part of my decision to join the Mormon church was based on his writings on charity and kindness. Over the years, I have observed that Mormons and indeed people of all faiths sometimes anonymously give of themselves to others. That seemed to be President Monson’s theme. We will miss him.---Congress is returning to Washington this week. Our friend, Sen. Orrin Hatch, has announced his retirement
  
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• Hearing on proposed bus service changes in Utah County set for Jan. 18

  05-01-2018 23:15
  PROVO — The Utah Transit Authority has scheduled a public hearing on proposed changes to four bus routes in Utah County.
  The hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Provo City Library, 550 N. University Ave. If approved, the changes would go into effect April 8.
  UTA wants to eliminate two weekday trips on routes 833 and 834. Route 834 would be extended to the intersection of Center and State streets in Orem to allow for transfers to route 850 near the Orem city offices. In addition,
  
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• Bighorn sheep fly through the air on Utah's Antelope Island

  05-01-2018 23:08
  ANTELOPE ISLAND STATE PARK — Bighorn sheep used to roaming rocky cliffs on an island in the Great Salt Lake found themselves in even higher altitudes Friday as they soared through the air on slings attached to helicopters.
  The animals' flight was part of a periodic roundup to control the sheep's population on the 15-mile long island.
  Officials with the state Division of Wildlife Resources and State Parks used the helicopter to bring about 15 sheep to a staging area at a ranch on the island
  
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• Judge to fill vacancies on Manti, Gunnison justice courts

  05-01-2018 23:03
  MANTI — Judge Mark K. McIff has been tapped by the Sanpete County Nominating Commission to fill the vacancies on the Manti and Gunnison justice courts. McIff replaces Judge Ivo Peterson, who retired in June.
  McIff currently serves as a justice court judge in Sevier and Piute counties, as well as in Ephraim, Fairview, Fountain Green, Moroni and Spring City. He is also an attorney who practices in the south-central Utah area.
  He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Southern Utah Univ
  
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• Utah college students give up holiday break to help fight California fires

  05-01-2018 23:01
  
  While most Utahns spent Christmas morning in the comfort of their own homes, a crew of college students raced against time to clean up after the largest fire in California history.
  
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• Police arrest man accused of attacking 2, carjacking 1

  05-01-2018 22:59
  TAYLORSVILLE — A man who police believe attacked two people at random and stole one of their vehicles was chased down and arrested by officers Friday.
  George DeLeon, 26, of Salt Lake City, was taken into custody about noon.
  Investigators believe DeLeon approached a vehicle parked in the Planet Fitness lot, 1836 W. 5400 South, at 4:30 a.m. A man was asleep in the driver's seat waiting for the business to open, said Unified Police Lt. Brian Lohrke.
  DeLeon knocked on the window, then opened t
  
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• Stewart collecting valentines for veterans

  05-01-2018 22:52
  SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, is collecting Valentine's Day cards to thank and honor Utah veterans.
  Utahns are invited to mail or drop off cards to Stewart's Salt Lake City or St. George offices through Feb. 9. Stewart and his staff will then deliver the cards in person to the William J. Christofferson Veterans Home in Salt Lake City and the Southern Utah Veterans Home in Ivins.
  "As a former Air Force pilot, I know firsthand about the sacrifices made by veterans and their fa
  
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• Herbert declares January as Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month

  05-01-2018 22:49
  SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Gary Herbert has declared January as Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, and to celebrate, all 13 resorts in Utah are offering packages tailored for first-time skiers and snowboarders.
  Most of the resorts are offering a two-hour lesson, rentals and lift ticket for $49. A complete list of resort deals and discounts can be found at skiutah.com/lssm.
  This year marks the 10th anniversary of Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month. During its first year, participating resorts natio
  
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• Six lanes still planned for U.S. 89 through Davis, Weber counties

  05-01-2018 22:46
  FARMINGTON — The Utah Department of Transportation still plans a six-lane expressway along 9 miles of U.S. 89 between Farmington and I-84 in Uintah, Weber County.
  Although keeping the highway at four lanes was considered, the change was not included in newly released revisions to a draft state environmental study for the $275 million project expected to be completed in 2021.
  "This has become a major thoroughfare and changes are needed," UDOT Region One spokesman Vic Saunders said, includin
  
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• Photos: Police investigate suspicious bag found in downtown Salt Lake

  05-01-2018 22:37
  A law enforcement official, with the help of a robot, investigates a suspicious bag that was found at 300 East and South Temple in Salt Lake City on Friday. No other details about the incident were immediately available.
  See the world through the eyes of award-winning photojournalists. Click through the gallery above to view the unique images our visual storytellers captured today. Don't forget to follow the official Deseret News Instagram account for more photographs and videos from the staff.
  
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• Southern Utah’s snowpack levels are ‘below abysmal,’ officials say

  05-01-2018 22:14
  
  Southern Utah’s snowpack levels are “below abysmal” for this time of year, water officials said.
  
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• Search continues for couple missing between Tooele and Eureka

  05-01-2018 21:59
  TOOELE COUNTY — Search and rescue crews from Tooele and Juab counties continued looking Friday for a young couple who hasn't been heard from for a week.
  Brelynne "Breezy" Otteson, 17, and Riley Powell, 18, were planning to drive from Tooele to Eureka. Varying reports from law enforcers and friends stated the couple was last heard from sometime between Dec. 29 and Dec. 31.
  Tooele County Sheriff's Lt. Ron Johnson said Powell was known to enjoy going exploring off-road. Officials believe the
  
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• Man convicted in road rage shooting sentenced to prison

  05-01-2018 21:31
  SALT LAKE CITY — A West Valley man has been sentenced to prison for shooting another driver at random and then leading police on a high-speed chase.
  Joseph "Cyko" Granados, 35, was sentenced Dec. 28 to at least three years and up to life in prison for attempted murder, a first-degree felony.
  Additional sentences — one to 15 years for possession of a firearm by a restricted person, as well as up to five years each for failing to stop for police and criminal mischief — were order
  
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• Utah search teams help find teen lost in Grand Canyon

  05-01-2018 21:18
  
  Local search teams found a missing teen Wednesday after the boy disappeared while hunting for deer antlers in Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument.
  
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• Eden man travels to South America to compete in grueling off-road race

  05-01-2018 21:15
  
  A Utah man has traveled to South America to compete in what he called the toughest off-road race in the world — the Dakar Rally.
  
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• Springville woman joins race for Utah County Commission

  05-01-2018 21:04
  PROVO — Another candidate is jumping into the race for the seat held by embattled Utah County Commissioner Greg Graves.
  Karen Ellingson, a Springville planning commissioner, announced Friday she plans to run for Graves' seat, which is up for grabs at the end of this year.
  Also in the race is Tanner Ainge, a business consultant and son of Boston Celtics President Danny Ainge, who finished last in a three-way GOP primary last year to replace former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah.
  Ellingson and
  
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• Friends continue search for two missing men and their plane

  05-01-2018 21:04
  BRIGHAM CITY — It's been one week since a plane carrying two men went missing in northern Utah.
  But friends of Denny Mansell, 71, and passenger Peter Ellis, 74, say they are not giving up looking.
  "They're like family. These guys are husbands, they have wives, they're fathers, they have kids, they're grandpas, they have grandkids. They're just stellar people," John Malmberg, president of the Hill Flying Club and a friend of both men, said Friday.
  On Dec. 29, Mansell, the pilot, and Ellis t
  
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• Here’s what Utahns bought the most at Walmart in 2017

  05-01-2018 20:47
  Utahns who visit Walmart leave with personal travel care kits more than anything else.
  A new report from Walmart unveiled which items Americans in each state buy more than anything else. For Utahns, travel care kits topped the list.
  The company tracks all of its shoppers' purchases on Walmart.com and its 4,700 stores.
  Walmart collected each state's top 25 best-selling items in 2017 and then identified "interesting top sellers" from each state. Multiple news sites referred to these top-sellers as
  
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• Police: Allegedly intoxicated woman assaulted others over stolen shoes

  05-01-2018 20:44
  
  An allegedly intoxicated Cedar City woman was arrested Monday after she and others forced their way into a home and assaulted those inside, believing they had stolen the woman’s shoes.
  
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• Provo police searching for city power truck thief

  05-01-2018 20:30
  PROVO — Police are searching for the thief that stole a Provo City Power truck.
  Provo Police Sgt. Nisha King said a Hispanic man stole a 2006 Chevy truck from the Provo public works building Thursday afternoon, the Daily Herald reported.
  The truck is a single cab with a long bed, and has a yellow Provo Power logo on its doors. Police say the keys were inside the truck because it was being serviced when it was stolen.
  The license plate number of the stolen vehicle is 76393 with exempt tags.
  
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• Friends continue search for 2 missing men and their plane

  05-01-2018 20:18
  
  It's been one week since a plane carrying two men went missing in Northern Utah. But friends of Denny Mansell, 71, and passenger Peter Ellis, 74, say they are not giving up looking.
  
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• Search party looking for 2 teens who disappeared en route to Juab County

  05-01-2018 19:22
  
  A search party is looking for two Utah teens who have been missing for nearly a week after the couple left Tooele Saturday en route to Eureka in Juab County.
  
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• Washington Post report says Romney could ‘revive Mormon opposition’ to Trump

  05-01-2018 19:11
  Will Utah become the hotbed for the anti-Trump crowd?
  It seems that Mitt Romney's rumored run for U.S. Senate could make it so, according to Lauren Jackson's report for The Washington Post.
  Jackson wrote that Utah and Mormon leaders have often led the charge against President Donald Trump.
  Romney was viewed as a hero by many liberals for his #NeverTrump stance. The former presidential candidate is rumored to be considering the run now that Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has announced that he's retiri
  
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• A.M. notes: The agony of John Curtis, Kaysville councilman refuses to resign, influenza spreads in Utah

  05-01-2018 19:07
  Here's a look at the news for Jan. 5.
  The agony of John Curtis
  The Deseret News profiles Utah Rep. John Curtis, the newest Beehive State congressman.
  Curtis, who replaced former Rep. Jason Chaffetz in the 3rd Congressional district, told the Deseret News that he's hoping to build a bipartisan relationship in Congress.
  "But Curtis has agonized to find his voice in the binary world of national politics — where conditional language often dies on the cutting-room floor — and as a represe
  
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• Report: President Trump, Mitt Romney talk about Utah Senate seat in phone call

  05-01-2018 17:58
  
  Mitt Romney spoke by phone with President Donald Trump on Thursday, the White House has confirmed, a conversation that comes as Romney is believed to be readying a run to replace retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
  
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• Report: President Donald Trump, Mitt Romney talk about Utah Senate seat in phone call

  05-01-2018 17:48
  SALT LAKE CITY — Mitt Romney spoke by phone with President Donald Trump on Thursday, the White House has confirmed, a conversation that comes as Romney is believed to be readying a run to replace retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
  During the call, described as lasting less than 10 minutes, Trump wished Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, the "best of luck in his future endeavors," according to a report by CNN that cited two sources briefed on the exchange.
  Hatch's announcement earli
  
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• Utah mom sentenced to community service after locking kids in trunk

  05-01-2018 17:33
  RIVERDALE, Weber County — An Ogden mother charged with locking her children in the trunk of her car was sentenced Thursday to complete community service.
  Tori Lee Castillo, who turned 40 this week, pleaded guilty in Riverdale Justice Court to one count of child abuse, a class B misdemeanor, while an identical charge was dismissed.
  Judge Reuben Renstrom suspended a 180-day jail sentence for Castillo so long as she completes 60 hours of community service by March 15, according to court docum
  
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• Report: Trump and Romney talk on phone

  05-01-2018 15:41
  
  President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Mitt Romney as speculation rises over whether Romney will run for the Senate, Politico reported Friday morning.
  
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• Kaysville councilman says he won't resign after censure

  05-01-2018 08:16
  KAYSVILLE — Following no public discussion, the Kaysville City Council voted to censure Councilman Dave Adams and call for his resignation Thursday night in wake of reports he's being investigated for extortion.
  The vote resulted in shouts of outrage from a crowd of Adams' supporters attending the meeting.
  "We want a discussion," one woman yelled.
  Newly elected Kaysville Mayor Katie Witt warned that people disrupting the meeting would be removed under the city's public decorum rules.
  "You'
  
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• The agony of John Curtis

  05-01-2018 07:26
  WASHINGTON — There were few cars out as John Curtis sped toward Salt Lake City in his gray pickup. It was early morning, hours after he'd won the Republican primary to succeed one of Congress' most recognizable figures, and Curtis had flipped his phone facedown.
  Its screen, lighting with every celebratory text, had been a distraction. But from the passenger seat, Curtis' campaign manager told him there was one message he needed to see right away: The president of the United States had twee
  
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• Picture this: The force is strong with the top 47 photos of December

  05-01-2018 06:00
  Santa welcomes a bubbly girl running toward him with outstretched arms.
  President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Presiding Bishop Gerald Causse smile as President Donald Trump pushes a shopping cart of goods on a tour of Welfare Square.
  Lightsaber in hand, a smiling Jedi faces Kylo Ren at the Megaplex Theater at Jordan Commons.
  Look through the gallery above, you must.
  
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• Jazz sideline reporter gives advice on staying fit, healthy in 2018 with a new workout

  05-01-2018 05:12
  
  Tips from NBA Jazz reporter Kristen Kenney about how to keep those healthy resolutions.
  
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• Op-ed: Faith leaders against anonymous shell companies

  05-01-2018 03:20
  As faith leaders in Utah, we are concerned with a gaping hole in state and federal law that is having dire consequences throughout the state, country and the world. We feel it is time as citizens to call on our representatives to correct this oversight and give law enforcement the tools they need to protect us and our financial system. It is time to end the legal twilight zone where anonymous shell companies are used to protect criminals.Anonymous shell companies incorporated in the United State
  
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• Layton police seek public's help identifying alleged sex offender

  05-01-2018 03:19
  LAYTON — Police are asking the public to help identify a man who they say exposed himself to two women and tried to grope a third at an apartment complex near the Layton Hills Mall.
  Each of the reported incidents happened between 5:30-6 a.m. at Layton Meadows Apartments, 540 W. 1425 North, police said in a prepared statement. They are believed to have occurred Nov. 10, Dec. 19 and Jan. 4.
  On the first two incidents, the women were leaving their apartment when a man walked toward them with
  
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• St. George family devastated after house fire

  05-01-2018 02:40
  
  Neighbors pitch in to help get a St. Geroge family back on their feet.
  
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• Herbert, Hatch favor more research on medical marijuana

  05-01-2018 02:25
  
  Gov. Gary Herbert on Wednesday said he thinks medical marijuana will eventually be legalized in Utah.
  
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• Influenza virus reaching widespread proportions in Utah

  05-01-2018 02:16
  SALT LAKE CITY — It's that time of the year again.
  Kids are sniffling, co-workers are coughing and people are suffering. Sleep is harder to get, and drugstore shelves where pain medication and decongestants can be found are emptying.
  Influenza is on the rise, and just as in recent years, the illness has fast become widespread in the state, according to the Utah Department of Health.
  "If you haven't gotten your influenza vaccine, you should get it," said Gregg Reed, a health department epid
  
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• Researchers seek school data to understand youth suicide risk

  05-01-2018 02:15
  SALT LAKE CITY — As the number of youths dying by suicide in Utah rise, there is growing urgency to understand risk and protective factors and improve prevention efforts.
  Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, joined Utah Department of Health officials on Thursday to request from a State School Board committee the release of education data to further the understanding of youth suicides in Utah.
  "As our youth suicide rate has risen, we have realized how much we don't know about the causes and the rea
  
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• Photos: Athletes flipping out over 2018 Winter Games

  05-01-2018 01:53
  Danielle Scott, a member of the Australian Olympic aerial team, takes a practice run at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City on Thursday. The 2018 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, will run Feb. 9-25. This year's games will feature 102 events in 15 sports. Four new disciplines in existing sports will be introduced in Pyeongchang, including big air snowboarding, mixed doubles curling, mass start speed skating and mixed team alpine skiing.
  See the world through the eye
  
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• Trump administration terminates U.S. policy that let legal pot flourish

  05-01-2018 01:45
  WASHINGTON — The Trump administration threw the burgeoning movement to legalize marijuana into uncertainty Thursday as it lifted an Obama-era policy that kept federal authorities from cracking down on the pot trade in states where the drug is legal.
  Attorney General Jeff Sessions will now leave it up to federal prosecutors to decide what to do when state rules collide with federal drug law.
  Sessions' action, just three days after a legalization law went into effect in California, threatene
  
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• Sandy man charged with trafficking, kidnapping woman

  05-01-2018 01:16
  ST. GEORGE — A Sandy man has been charged in connection with a human trafficking case that investigators say stretched from St. George to Salt Lake City.
  Travis Gentry, 35, was charged Friday in 5th District Court with aggravated kidnapping, forcible sexual abuse, two counts of object rape, forcible sodomy, rape and human trafficking, all first-degree felonies.
  A woman told police that in November she traveled to St. George from Salt Lake City and Gentry followed. Charging documents do not
  
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• Charges: Ex-Heber employee offered to 'sign off' work hours for sex

  05-01-2018 01:15
  HEBER CITY — A former part-time employee at the Heber City Animal Shelter was offering to "sign off" on community service hours for women in exchange for sexual favors, according to charging documents.
  Aaron Kip Reid, 41, of Heber City, was charged Thursday in 4th District Court with forcible sex abuse, a second-degree felony, and solicitation of a bribe by a public official, a third-degree felony.
  Reid was an employee at Heber Valley Animal Services, which is managed by the Heber City Pol
  
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• Send in your best Utah photos from 2017 to win a prize

  05-01-2018 01:05
  
  KSL.com is holding its first-ever photo contest, and we’d love to have you participate.
  
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• Bryce Canyon National Park set to burn debris piles

  05-01-2018 00:58
  BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK — Park officials have announced plans to burn debris piles created from recent fuel reduction treatment projects as soon as Monday.
  The burns will take place at Rainbow Point, in park employee housing areas and the park maintenance area. The debris will be burned only when specific weather conditions allow for acceptable smoke dispersal and little chance of fire to spread.
  Smoke from the burns may be visible to park visitors and local residents but should produce
  
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