Utah news

• Operation Rio Grande program launched to house 150 in addiction recovery

  29-01-2018 23:58
  MURRAY — Six months ago, Destiny Garcia said she was "running and gunning" on the streets of Salt Lake City, shoplifting to support her 10-year heroin and meth addiction.On Aug. 21, that all came to a screeching halt when she became one of now nearly 3,000 people arrested as part of Operation Rio Grande, the effort to end the lawlessness in the troubled downtown area surrounding the Road Home homeless shelter.Garcia, 37, was arrested for outstanding warrants on 12 outstanding traffic ticke
  
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• Lawmaker wants death penalty option for killing ambulance drivers, security guards

  29-01-2018 23:47
  SALT LAKE CITY — Killing an ambulance driver or a private security guard could result in an aggravated murder charge eligible for the death penalty under a proposed law a Utah legislative committee backed Monday.Lawmakers, however, were told passing the bill could lead to a court overturning Utah's death penalty law.Sen. Karen Mayne, D-West Valley City, said all first responders called to an emergency should be treated the same regardless of their jobs."We just don't know who's going to ge
  
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• Utah Senate committee advances bill clarifying bonding for roads, prison

  29-01-2018 23:46
  SALT LAKE CITY — A Senate committee advanced a bill Monday clarifying that the costs associated with issuing $1 billion in bonds for transportation and another $100 million for the construction of a new state prison are on top of those amounts.The bonding was approved by the 2017 Legislature, but the sponsor of SB110, Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, told the Senate Transportation Committee there has been some confusion about whether the legal and other costs were included."It's not a wh
  
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• FBI announces $10K reward for alleged drug trafficker

  29-01-2018 23:32
  SALT LAKE CITY — The FBI on Monday announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of an alleged drug trafficker who has been on the run for nearly seven years.Noel Romero Herrera, 35, is wanted for his alleged involvement in a drug-trafficking organization in Montana from 2007 to 2010, according to a statement from the FBI. He is wanted for crimes mostly dealing with possessing and distributing cocaine, as well as aiding and abetting, the FBI stated.Officials say Herrera
  
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• Spanish Fork woman recovering after car fell into embankment

  29-01-2018 23:30
  
  A Spanish Fork woman is recovering after her car rolled down into an embankment in northern Utah.
  
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• Charges: Pennsylvania man carrying marijuana, edibles, $13K cash

  29-01-2018 23:22
  SALT LAKE CITY — A Pennsylvania man faces drug distribution charges after police say they pulled him over and discovered a lot of marijuana edibles and cash in his vehicle.Stephen Andrew Schantz, 54, of Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, was charged last week in 3rd District Court with drug distribution, a third-degree felony, possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor; and following too close to another vehicle, an infraction.On Dec. 13, Schantz was pulled over on I-80 for a routine
  
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• Search ongoing for sneaky Pallas' cat that escaped zoo enclosure

  29-01-2018 23:09
  SALT LAKE CITY — Hogle Zoo employees are still on the prowl for an escaped Pallas' cat discovered missing from his enclosure Sunday morning.But Mushu, the zoo's nearly 10-month-old male Pallas' cat, isn't expected to make another appearance until nightfall.Zoo staff are spending the day laying traps for the small, shy feline, and when the sun sets, will attempt to coax him out with food, appealing smells and a recording of his mother's call."As soon as the sun starts to set, odds are he's
  
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• Registered sex offender faces new charges in southern Utah

  29-01-2018 23:09
  SALT LAKE CITY — The owner of a southern Utah shuttle service, who is also a registered sex offender out of Michigan, has been charged with unlawful sexual contact with a 17-year-old girl.Sean Timothy O'Neill, 48, of Hurricane, was charged earlier this month with tampering with a witness, two counts of failing to register as a sex offender and two counts of unlawful sexual contact with a 17-year-old, all third-degree felonies.O'Neill, who owns and operates Hurrikin Express, according to a
  
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• Salt Lake Chamber visits Utah Capitol to kick off Clear the Air Challenge

  29-01-2018 22:42
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake Chamber kicked off its ninth annual Clear the Air Challenge on Monday.This is the first time the challenge is taking place in February, "when our air quality is visibly at its worst," according to a news release from the Chamber."Transportation emissions are responsible for nearly 50 percent of the pollutants that make up our poor air quality," the release states."In the last five years, Salt Lake has had 164 mandatory air action days, or an average about 30
  
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• Senate OKs replacing TV inventor statue with Martha Cannon statue

  29-01-2018 22:20
  SALT LAKE CITY — A resolution passed the Senate Monday calling for Utah's statue of TV inventor Philo T. Farnsworth to be replaced in the U.S. Capitol by Martha Hughes Cannon, the first woman in the country to serve as a state legislator.SCR1, sponsored by Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, passed 21-7 and now goes to the House. It is intended to put Utah, the first state to give women the right to vote, at the center of the 2020 celebration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage."Hono
  
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• Saratoga Springs Library closing one month for repairs

  29-01-2018 21:53
  SARATOGA SPRINGS — The public library will close in late February so crews can make flooring repairs. Work will begin on Saturday, Feb. 24, and should be completed by Monday, March 26.Items that would fall due during the closure will have a due date of Monday, April 2.Beginning Monday, Feb. 5, item limits will temporarily increase to 150 items total per adult card, including three kits, five video games and 30 DVDs.During the closure, items should not be returned to other libraries.Library
  
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• Mapleton’s Winter Wonderland Ball set for Feb. 10

  29-01-2018 21:48
  MAPLETON — The city's annual Winter Wonderland Ball will be held on Saturday, Feb. 10, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., at the city offices, 125 W. 400 North.The event is open to residents 14 or older. The event will music, dancing and refreshments.
  
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• Man convicted of drug killing sentenced to prison

  29-01-2018 21:29
  SALT LAKE CITY — A man convicted of shooting and killing a West Valley man during a drug robbery has been sentenced to prison.Jeremiah Ray Hart, 45, was sentenced Jan. 18 to at least 25 years and potentially life in prison for killing 24-year-old Christian McDonald.A jury found Hart guilty in November of aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, as well as obstructing justice and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, second-degree felonies.In addition to the murder sente
  
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• Charges: Uintah County mom burned toddler, didn't seek help

  29-01-2018 20:29
  VERNAL — A Fort Duchesne woman has been charged with causing second-degree burns on her 8-month-old son and not seeking any medical treatment.Gracelynn Rae Yazzie, 21, is charged in Uintah County's 8th Distinct Court with child abuse, inflicting serious injury, a second-degree felony.On Jan. 8, the boy's grandmother took him to Ashley Regional Medical Center emergency room. Doctors then called police suspecting child abuse, according to a pair of search warrant affidavits unsealed over the
  
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• Alpine extends ban on motorized vehicles in Lambert Park

  29-01-2018 20:27
  ALPINE — The City Council has voted to keep Lambert Park closed to all motorized vehicles until May 1.Last July, the council voted unanimously to prohibit motorized vehicles in Lambert Park until Jan. 1 following a wildfire, reportedly due to gunfire.The 255-acre wilderness park is normally accessed by Grove Drive, Box Elder Drive and Alpine Boulevard. It has trails for hiking, horses and mountain biking, some designated camping areas, and access to the Alpine rodeo grounds. Many residents
  
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• Wednesday's triple treat occurs once in a blue moon

  29-01-2018 20:21
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah sky watchers will get to witness a rare lunar event Tuesday night and into Wednesday known as a blue blood moon, and the Salt Lake Astronomical Society has tips for those wishing to view the event.The full moon will be the second of January, a phenomenon nicknamed a blue moon. It will also be a supermoon, the name given when it is near its closest approach to Earth.And it will also occur at the same time the moon is experiencing a total lunar eclipse.During a lunar ec
  
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• Feb. 6 meeting to address commuter congestion in Tooele

  29-01-2018 20:11
  STANSBURY PARK — The Utah Department of Transportation will hold a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 6, to discuss commuter congestion between Salt Lake and Tooele counties — as well as possible solutions.The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at Stansbury High School, 5300 Aberdeen Lane.Last January, a UDOT construction project on the Exit 99 overpass bridge caused long delays for westbound traffic, with vehicles backed up for more than 7 miles, delaying some motorists for up to three hours. Bra
  
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• Program launched to house 150 in addiction recovery from Operation Rio Grande

  29-01-2018 20:09
  MURRAY — Six months after the launch of Operation Rio Grande, Salt Lake County is adding another program to help people struggling with drug addiction and homelessness off the streets.Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams announced the county's new sober living housing program, meant to place people taken from the streets by Operation Rio Grande and into addiction recovery into the next phase — safe, affordable housing."Many of the clients arrested and jailed during Operation Rio Grande
  
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• Author, MTV star Ben Nemtin to speak at U. commencement

  29-01-2018 20:01
  SALT LAKE CITY — Ben Nemtin, a New York Times best-selling author and star of MTV's "The Buried Life," will deliver the University of Utah's 2018 commencement address May 3.General commencement exercises will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Jon M. Huntsman Center on the U. campus. The event is free and open to the public.Nemtin won acclaim for setting off on a journey to complete a list of "100 things to do before you die." He and his friends embarked on a two-week trip with a camera and a bor
  
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• Firefighter sentenced to probation for drug theft

  29-01-2018 19:59
  PROVO — A firefighter who admitted breaking into fire stations and stealing drugs has been sentenced to probation.In a sentencing hearing Jan. 22, potential prison and jail sentences were suspended and three years of probation was ordered for Brendan James Ivie, 21, of Pleasant Grove.A former part-time firefighter for the Unified Fire Authority, Ivie pleaded guilty in November to three counts of burglary, a third-degree felony, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, a class A
  
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• 'I did nothing wrong': This Instagram fitness model vows to never fly American Airlines again after she's removed from plane

  29-01-2018 19:40
  Instagram fitness model Jen Selter tweeted a video of an American Airlines flight attendant asking her to leave a plane.Selter said she got involved in an argument with a flight attendant who told her to remain seated after she stood up to stretch since she had been on a flight from Miami to New York, which had been delayed for two hours, according to CBS New York.Police officers removed both Selter and two others from the plane."I did nothing wrong," reads one of her tweets.Current situation @A
  
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• Man accused of killing stepdad had just been released from jail

  29-01-2018 19:24
  SALT LAKE CITY — A man who police say stabbed his stepfather while he was in bed has been arrested for investigation of murder.The attack occurred just hours after the stepson, Charles Anthony Petrie, 30, was released from jail after serving time related to a domestic violence conviction, according to Salt Lake County Jail records.Just before 1 p.m. Saturday, Johnny Postlethwait, 54, was lying in bed in his home at 756 E. 1700 South when his stepson entered the room, according to a police
  
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• Police identify man killed in SLC stabbing, stepson arrested

  29-01-2018 18:29
  
  Police identified a Salt Lake City man who died after he was stabbed over the weekend, while his stepson was booked into jail in connection with the case.
  
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• Police identify man killed in SLC stabbing, step-son arrested

  29-01-2018 18:29
  
  Police identified a Salt Lake City man who died after he was stabbed over the weekend, while his step-son was booked into jail in connection with the case.
  
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• Utah's AIDS crisis, then and now: From one doctor in the 1980s to the U's new free clinic

  29-01-2018 13:45
  Kristen Ries moved to Salt Lake City in the early 1980s hoping to set up a medical practice.By chance, she arrived on the exact day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report about a new infectious disease mostly affecting gay men.As the crisis swelled, Ries and her physician assistant, Maggie Snyder, became the only medical providers in the intermountain region accepting patients with HIV and AIDS at time when the cause of the epidemic was still unknown and public fear of
  
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• 'She just took off like a dynamo': Utah teen reaches new heights in the world of rock climbing

  29-01-2018 06:26
  
  MILLCREEK — For Sami Singleton, entering the man-made caverns of a rock climbing gym is like walking through the front door of her home.
  
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• Fire destroys Sandy warehouse

  29-01-2018 06:20
  SANDY — A commercial warehouse in Sandy was declared a "total loss" by fire officials after it engulfed in flames Sunday evening.Fire crews first responded to the blaze at 547 W. 9320 South about 8 p.m. Sunday and called for more assistance when they saw a "heavy black column of smoke" billowing from the building, said Sandy Deputy Fire Chief Derek Maxfield.Two businesses are listed at the address: Boost Performance Products, an automotive fuel and additives company; and South Valley Speci
  
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• Police: Gunman in custody following Herriman standoff

  29-01-2018 05:32
  
  A man is in custody after a “short” standoff with Unified police officers Sunday.
  
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• Crews respond to structure fire in Sandy

  29-01-2018 05:07
  
  Emergency crews are responding to an apparent structure fire near 547 W. 9320 South Sunday evening, Salt Lake Dispatch confirmed.
  
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• School locks bill passes Utah Senate

  29-01-2018 04:17
  
  Public schools could install bolt locks on classroom doors for use during lockdowns under a bill that passed the Senate last week. SB87, sponsored by Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, was approved 26-0 Friday and now goes to the House.
  
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• School locks bill moves passes Utah Senate

  29-01-2018 04:17
  
  Public schools could install bolt locks on classroom doors for use during lockdowns under a bill that passed the Senate last week. SB87, sponsored by Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, was approved 26-0 Friday and now goes to the House.
  
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• 4 Sundance films that focus on humans' differences

  29-01-2018 03:08
  
  Every year, the Sundance Film Festival champions projects that showcase stories from marginalized people.
  
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• Social issues dominated 2018 Sundance Film Festival

  29-01-2018 02:42
  PARK CITY — While this year's Sundance Film Festival may not have seen the same level of success as it has in previous years, festival organizers said there is plenty to celebrate.The premiere film festival wrapped up Sunday after 10 days with a final panel discussion cheekily titled "Film Church." Festival Director John Cooper and Trevor Groth, director of programming, reflected on this year's screenings, the impact of the #MeToo movement on the festival and what it was like hosting a Sup
  
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• Medicaid expansion likely to make another appearance at the Utah Legislature

  29-01-2018 01:55
  SALT LAKE CITY — Recent actions in Washington, D.C., may be reason enough for Utah lawmakers to reignite attempts to expand Medicaid, but some are still more hopeful than others.Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City, has again proposed full expansion, aiming to accomplish what he believes the Affordable Care Act sought to do — insure all Americans."Somehow we keep kicking this thing down the road, saying it's about the indigent poor," Davis said. "People are working. People are existing,
  
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• Hogle Zoo workers searching for 'very shy' missing Pallas' cat

  29-01-2018 01:51
  SALT LAKE CITY — Mushu, a young Pallas' cat, has caused a little mischief at Utah's Hogle Zoo.The 10-month-old Pallas' cat, described as "very shy and reserved," was discovered missing from his outdoor exhibit by zookeepers Sunday morning.Zoo officials stress Mushu isn't dangerous (as he's smaller than most domesticated cats) and they suspect he probably hasn't left zoo grounds, but the zoo has called all hands on deck to find and safely recapture the 8-pound cat, said Hogle Zoo spokeswoma
  
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• Mayor embraces 'new localism,' shifting power to 'problem solvers'

  29-01-2018 01:45
  SALT LAKE CITY — In an era of gridlock, dysfunction and polarized politics on the federal level, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams hopes other mayors and local leaders like himself embrace the idea that power is shifting to the "problem solvers" of communities.It's a concept described in a new book titled "The New Localism: How Cities Can Thrive in the Age of Populism," by Bruce Katz and Jeremy Nowak of the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C. — and the authors believe the Salt L
  
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• Utah fitness guru gives advice to people behind on resolutions

  29-01-2018 01:35
  SALT LAKE CITY —It's nearly the end of January, and fitness guru Blake Robinson has some advice for anyone whose New Year's resolution was to drop 20 pounds and is now resolving to instead drop the resolution.STOP FOCUSING ON THE WEIGHT!"I love New Year's resolutions; I'm in favor of anything that gives people an excuse to change," says Blake. "But the fatal flaw in making resolutions is people look at the wrong things. They focus on what they can't control instead of what they can."To los
  
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• About Utah: Resolve not to focus on the weight

  29-01-2018 01:35
  SALT LAKE CITY —It's nearly the end of January, and fitness guru Blake Robinson has some advice for anyone whose New Year's resolution was to drop 20 pounds and is now resolving to instead drop the resolution.STOP FOCUSING ON THE WEIGHT!"I love New Year's resolutions; I'm in favor of anything that gives people an excuse to change," says Blake. "But the fatal flaw in making resolutions is people look at the wrong things. They focus on what they can't control instead of what they can."To los
  
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• Should bystanders be allowed to smash window to remove child from hot car?

  29-01-2018 00:45
  
  In a bid to encourage people to rescue potentially imperiled children, a proposed bill planned for the 2018 Utah Legislative session addresses civil immunity for Utahns who use force to remove a confined child from a motor vehicle.
  
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• Lawmakers take aim at water law reforms

  29-01-2018 00:01
  SALT LAKE CITY — A number of water-related measures will demand lawmakers' attention this session, including bills that require secondary water conservation plans and possible reform of Salt Lake City's control of its mountainous watershed.As Utah's population continues to grow and state water agencies seek more accuracy on water data, one legislative proposal requires greater transparency from municipal or district water suppliers that deliver water outside their boundaries.Rep. Kim Colem
  
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