Utah news

• Utah lawmakers honor Christine Durham, retired Utah Supreme Court justice

  01-02-2018 23:47
  SALT LAKE CITY — Christine Durham, a former Utah Supreme Court chief justice and the first women to serve on the state's highest court, was honored Thursday by the Utah Legislature.Both the House and Senate passed a resolution detailing Durham's many achievements during a long legal career that included 35 years on the Utah Supreme Court and 10 as chief justice. She retired from the court in November.Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Millcreek, who sponsored HCR6, praised Durham for her bravery, leade
  
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• Police: Granite district bus driver arrested after groping student who stepped off school bus

  01-02-2018 23:42
  
  A Granite School District bus driver has been arrested on investigation of sexual battery after he allegedly groped a boy who had gotten off of a school bus, according to a jail report.
  
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• Bank of Utah hosting annual economic outlook events in February

  01-02-2018 22:33
  OGDEN — Bank of Utah will host four economic outlook events in February to inform business and community leaders about Utah's projected growth.Pam Perlich, director of demographic research at the University of Utah's Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, will headline the lectures scheduled in Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake City and Lehi.Perlich leads the institute team that produces population estimates and projections at both the community and state levels. Perlich's work highlights the great divers
  
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• Swap out conventional light bulbs for energy-efficient LEDs Saturday

  01-02-2018 22:30
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Clean Energy will hold a "Light Swap" from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Chapman Library, 577 S. 900 West.During the event, residents of the Poplar Grove area can swap five conventional light bulbs for five LED bulbs at no cost. Residents also learn about other low- and no-cost ways to save money on energy bills and improve local air quality. Rocky Mountain Power donated the nearly 800 energy-efficient bulbs.According to the nonprofit advocacy organization, the cam
  
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• 16 Provo School District buildings win Energy Star certification

  01-02-2018 22:26
  PROVO — Sixteen buildings in the Provo School District have earned the EPA's Energy Star certification. In order to earn the certification, buildings have to rank in the top 25 percent of the most energy-efficient nationwide.For the past 40 months, the district has been working with Cenergistic, a company that specializes in organizational-based energy conservation for school districts and other large organizations. The goal was to reduce energy consumption and the cost of utilities while
  
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• Local religious leaders celebrate a year of interfaith achievements

  01-02-2018 22:23
  SALT LAKE CITY — Sim Gill brings a unique perspective to discussions on peace and justice. He's been a prosecutor for more than two decades and serves as district attorney for Salt Lake County.But at the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, he didn't dwell on a legal approach to fairness and forgiveness. He wanted to talk about faith."I'm lucky and blessed to have experienced a diversity of human beliefs," he said to a room filled with around 50 representatives of
  
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• Canyon School District taking applications for preschool

  01-02-2018 22:20
  SANDY — The Canyons School District is currently taking applications for spots at preschools in eight elementary schools.The preschools follow a curriculum that lines up with the core standards of learning at the kindergarten level, and to enroll, children must be 3 or age 4 prior to Sept 1.Cost is $100 per month for students attending two days per week and $200 a month for students attending four days. There's also a one-time $20 registration fee.Availability for the program in the coming
  
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• Photos: Hogle Zoo's Acara goes ape for the New England Patriots

  01-02-2018 22:14
  Acara, a Bornean orangutan at Utah's Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, chose a papier-mache New England Patriots helmet on Thursday, signifying her pick to win Sunday's Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.Last year, Acara incorrectly picked the Atlanta Falcons to win the big game. Acara's dad, Eli, who who died in 2014, gained notoriety by accurately predicting the winners in seven consecutive Super Bowls.Sunday's game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, with Pink perfo
  
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• 'You shouldn't have messed with me,' Utah girl tells teen who shot her in the head

  01-02-2018 22:07
  LOGAN — Her tiny frame seated in a wheelchair, 15-year-old Deserae Turner told the boy who shot her in the head and left her in a canal that she was too determined to die there."You shouldn't have messed with me, because I am tougher than a bullet," Deserae said as the tall 17-year-old shackled in front of her hunched forward, trembled and cried.Though she once considered Colter Peterson a friend — a word that she said the boy doesn't seem to know the definition of — Deserae ca
  
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• Lawmaker proposes court process for transgender Utahns to legally change their gender

  01-02-2018 22:05
  SALT LAKE CITY — To correct what he sees as a hole in Utah law, a state senator proposed a bill Thursday creating a process for transgender people to legally change their gender through the courts.Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, said he's convinced the Legislature has failed judges because it has not provided them with guidelines for considering petitions seeking to change one's gender on a birth certificate."We've given them absolutely no guidance on what factors to consider if they get
  
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• Tribes say ‘no thanks’ to plan for scaled-back Bears Ears

  01-02-2018 22:04
  
  Leaders of five tribes accused lawmakers Tuesday of “cherry-picking” tribal members to support an 85 percent reduction in the Bears Ears monuments, and said proposed tribal management of the new monument would be in name only.
  
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• U.S. attorney for Utah says reducing local crime is top priority

  01-02-2018 21:51
  SALT LAKE CITY — U.S. Attorney for Utah John Huber is well aware of the recent violence that has plagued the Magna area.That's because he is a Magna resident.For Huber, he says partnering with local and state law enforcement agencies to reduce violent crime in Utah's neighborhoods is a top priority."Every person deserves to live in a safe neighborhood," he said Thursday. "How much should we have to tolerate? Why should the U.S. attorney have to tolerate a gang member shooting a 17-year-old
  
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• Romney tweets he's 'making an announcement' Feb. 15 on Senate race

  01-02-2018 21:50
  SALT LAKE CITY — Mitt Romney said in a tweet Thursday he is finally making a long-awaited announcement Feb. 15 on running for the Senate seat held by retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah."Looking forward to making an announcement on February 15th about the Utah Senate race," Romney tweeted Thursday afternoon, after avoiding the question of his intentions for nearly a month.Hatch announced in early January he would not seek an eighth term in the Senate this year. Romney, who had been talked ab
  
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• Get in hiking shape on Antelope Island's South Island Trail

  01-02-2018 21:42
  
  It's still winter, but warm enough to get spring fever. If you want to stay in shape or get in shape for summer hiking adventures, Antelope Island's South Island Trail is a good place to start.
  
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• Mitt Romney to announce Utah Senate plans on Feb. 15

  01-02-2018 21:14
  
  Will he or won't he? Utahns will soon find out.
  
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• St. George man charged with 10 counts of possessing child porn images, videos

  01-02-2018 21:01
  
  A man was charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor Thursday after authorities say external hard drives containing “hundreds of images and videos” of child pornography were discovered during a search warrant carried out Wednesday.
  
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• Local man's 1950s hot rod keeps nostalgia alive

  01-02-2018 20:48
  
  While lots of hot-rod car owners modernize their rides to the point of not being nostalgic anymore, this 1950s hot rod connects its owner with the past and his WWII-veteran father.
  
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• Teen who shot Deserae Turner sentenced to 15 years to life

  01-02-2018 20:39
  
  A judge ordered prison Thursday for a teenage boy who shot a 14-year-old girl in the head and left her to die.
  
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• Proposed law would penalize doctors for not providing info to women seeking abortion

  01-02-2018 20:32
  
  A Senate committee endorsed a bill Wednesday that would penalize doctors for not showing women an informational video before performing an abortion.
  
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• Teen gunman sentenced to prison for shooting 14-year-old Cache Valley girl

  01-02-2018 20:26
  LOGAN — A judge ordered prison Thursday for a teenage boy who shot a 14-year-old girl in the head and left her to die.Colter Peterson, 17, was sentenced to 15 years to life for the attempted murder of Deserae Turner, as well as one to 15 years for stealing the wounded girl's belongings.While 1st District Court Judge Kevin Allen did not opt to sentence Peterson to potentially shorter terms of six years to life or 10 years to life in prison, he also did not run the two sentences back to back
  
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• Three outgoing Utah university presidents get a 'sweet' send-off

  01-02-2018 20:13
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Legislature's Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee gave the outgoing presidents of the University of Utah, Utah Valley University and Weber State University a "sweet" send-off Thursday morning, gifting each with a basket of their favorite treats and a collective standing ovation.U. President David Pershing is retiring from the top administrative position he's held since 2012 to return to the university's chemical engineering faculty. His successor, Ruth Wa
  
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• Army: 33 Utah troops impacted after vaping oils cause 60 hospitalizations, 2 deaths

  01-02-2018 19:50
  
  The U.S. Army is warning about the dangers of vaping synthetic cannabinoid oil after about 60 soldiers and Marines in North Carolina and 33 troops in Utah experienced serious medical problems in January.
  
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• Bill seeks to modify Utah traffic code to permit robots to roam sidewalks

  01-02-2018 19:28
  SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that would modify Utah traffic code to permit automated personal delivery robots to roam sidewalks advanced through a House committee by a unanimous vote Wednesday."Today, we'd like to present a bill that deals with an upcoming technology and industry," the bill's sponsor, Rep. Stewart Barlow, R-Fruit Heights, told the House Transportation Committee.At Barlow's signal, a young man with a remote control drove one such personal delivery device into the room to present
  
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• Auto registration bill fails to advance in legislative committee

  01-02-2018 19:19
  SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that would repeal the requirement to have automobile registration papers present in the vehicle failed to advance past a legislative committee Wednesday.HB161, sponsored by Rep. Christine Watkins, R-Price, failed to advance in the House Transportation Committee, with lawmakers voting 5-5 to send the bill to the full House for more debate."It would be nice to have one more thing off the books," Watkins said.Utah Highway Patrol Col. Michael Rapich made a case to the c
  
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• A.M. notes: The state of Salt Lake City, Utah senator uninjured in train wreck, Utah mom avoids deportation

  01-02-2018 19:13
  Here's a look at the news for Feb. 1, 2018.The state of Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski proposed using sales tax increases to tackle issues plaguing Salt Lake City, according to the Deseret News.Biskupski called it a "rare opportunity to create a transformational shift in how we address growth."Biskupski said Salt Lake City can create a fund that would help fix issues with "housing, transit, public safety, infrastructure and air quality.""This funding would come not only from
  
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• LDS Church creates 5 new missions, merges 19 including Logan

  01-02-2018 19:00
  
  The number of LDS missions around the world will shrink from 421 to 407 after the creation of five new missions and the boundary realignments of 19 in July 2018.
  
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• 'Fintech' company SoFi reduces workforce in Utah, California

  01-02-2018 18:54
  COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Less than two years after receiving a $1.2 million tax incentive package from the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, San Francisco-based online lender Social Finance Inc. (SoFi) announced it will lay off 5 percent, or about 65, of its 1,300 employees.The reductions will target office staff in Cottonwood Heights and in Healdsburg, California.In a statement to the Deseret News, SoFi spokesman Jim Prosser declined to detail the number of Utah employees impact
  
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• UTA OKs lawmakers' restructuring plan, committee passes 2 cannabis-related bills

  01-02-2018 18:33
  
  UTA trustees backed a restructuring plan from lawmakers, and a legislative committee passed a pair of cannabis-related bills, among other action on Capitol Hill Wednesday.
  
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• Jay Evensen: Cost increases may jeopardize Utah's unique prison system

  01-02-2018 18:10
  Two things are rising so fast right now you can do little more than watch and wonder. One is the stock market. The other is the estimated cost of building Utah's new prison.The only difference between the two is that reasonable people believe the stock market eventually will fall.If you're watching from afar, you may still be angry that lawmakers decided to move the prison from Draper, where it has stood since 1951. You may want to find those old picket signs and start rallying again.You need to
  
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• Sentencing today for teen gunman who shot 14-year-old girl

  01-02-2018 18:07
  
  A teenage boy accused of shooting a 14-year-old girl in the head and leaving her to die is due to be sentenced today.
  
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• Dog rescued from Salt Flats making quick recovery, almost ready for adoption

  01-02-2018 17:03
  
  When Kelly first arrived at the Utah Animal Adoption Center in Salt Lake City, she was scabbed, starving and in desperate need of medical attention. Two weeks later, the dog is making a timely recovery.
  
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• Killer Instinct: UHP Trooper's training and instinct help to unmask murderer

  01-02-2018 16:45
  
  Ronny Corona never expected to be ‘the guy’ to make a significant discovery when he simply pulled off of westbound I-80 near mile marker 65 late the night of Jan. 12, 2017 to assist a red Honda Civic that appeared to be broken down.
  
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• 2 Utahns compete in Bricklayer 500 competition in Las Vegas

  01-02-2018 16:16
  
  Two Utah masons built a wall in Las Vegas last week.
  
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• Driver of stolen car leads troopers on 100 mph chase, UHP says

  01-02-2018 15:46
  
  Troopers arrested a man following a high-speed chase that reached speeds over 100 miles per hour on I-80 in Summit County Wednesday night.
  
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• UVU alum ready to represent his native Ghana in Winter Olympics

  01-02-2018 06:52
  
  Another Utah athlete is getting ready for the Winter Olympics — but not for Team USA. Instead, Akwasi Frimpong will be representing his home country of Ghana.
  
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• 'It's so twisted but I want her to die': Final reports give timeline of tragic Utah murders

  01-02-2018 05:51
  SANDY — A text message to his brother shows Jeremy Patterson's state of mind."If I can find her, I will kill her. I'm ready to die as well!!! I've thought about breaking into her house and killing muselfn (sic)," Patterson wrote.Just 3 ½ hours later on June 6, 2017, Memorez Rackley, 39, and her 6-year-old son Jase were gunned down in the middle of a quiet Sandy neighborhood. Her 11-year-old son Myles and the 8-year-old daughter of a Good Samaritan who tried to help the Rackley famil
  
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• 'It's so twisted but I want her to die': Final reports give timeline of tragic Sandy murders

  01-02-2018 05:51
  SANDY — A text message to his brother shows Jeremy Patterson's state of mind."If I can find her, I will kill her. I'm ready to die as well!!! I've thought about breaking into her house and killing muselfn (sic)," Patterson wrote.Just 3 ½ hours later on June 6, 2017, Memorez Rackley, 39, and her 6-year-old son Jase were gunned down in the middle of a quiet Sandy neighborhood. Her 11-year-old son Myles and the 8-year-old daughter of a Good Samaritan who tried to help the Rackley famil
  
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• New freeway signs aim to reduce emergency response times

  01-02-2018 05:43
  
  The Utah Department of Transportation is starting a new pilot program to help reduce response time for emergency crews rushing to drivers who need help.
  
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• Man dies after rear-end crash in West Valley City

  01-02-2018 05:35
  WEST VALLEY CITY — A 60-year-old man has died from injuries after his car rear-ended another vehicle Wednesday evening, police said.The man, who was not identified pending notification of family, was eastbound on state Route 201 when he drove into a pickup truck at the ramp to I-215 in West Valley City around 6 p.m., said Utah Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Todd Royce.Traffic was heavy at the time of the accident, Royce said.The victim was transported to an area hospital, where he later died
  
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• Man dies after crash on Route 201 in West Valley City

  01-02-2018 05:28
  
  A man died after a crash on state Route 201 on Wednesday, officials said.
  
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• Salt Lake church shields Utah mom from deportation

  01-02-2018 05:25
  SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah mother of two who is facing deportation was about to board a plane to her native Honduras when she changed her mind and went to a church instead.Vicky Chavez was on her way to the airport Tuesday night with her daughters, a 6-year-old and 4-month-old. She realized her home country was too dangerous for the little girls and instead moved into First Unitarian Church in downtown Salt Lake City, said Assistant Minister Monica Dobbins."She'll be in the safest place that
  
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• UTA trustees reluctantly back restructuring plan from lawmakers seen as 'nonnegotiable'

  01-02-2018 05:13
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Transit Authority trustees reluctantly voted Wednesday to support a legislative task force plan to replace their board with a new full-time, three-member management team.The UTA board's new chairman, Greg Bell, told trustees that his discussions with House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper, and a co-chairman of the task force, Rep. Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, had made it clear the proposed changes were "nonnegotiable."Backing the new structure would show the Legislature "that
  
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• Biskupski proposes exploring prison sales tax increase, $87 million bond

  01-02-2018 05:12
  
  During her third State of the City address on Wednesday, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski proposed exploring using a sales tax increase and an $87 million bond to tackle housing, transit, public safety, infrastructure and air quality needs.
  
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• Proposed law would penalize doctors for not providing info to woman seeking abortion

  01-02-2018 04:15
  SALT LAKE CITY — A Senate committee endorsed a bill Wednesday that would penalize doctors for not showing women an informational video before performing an abortion."All were doing is asking the doctor and his staff to follow the law," said Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, sponsor of SB118. "But if they're willfully disobeying it, there should be a penalty there."Weiler said he is running the legislation because he was "shocked" to learn there is no enforcement provision in current law. Th
  
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• Medicinal cannabis measures move forward at Utah Legislature

  01-02-2018 04:13
  SALT LAKE CITY — Two cannabis-related bills promoting in-state research of the plant and access to terminally ill patients were passed out of the House Health and Human Services Committee with a favorable recommendation Wednesday, following an hour of debate.The measures, both sponsored by Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, were favorably recommended to the House floor despite opposition voiced during the committee hearing from cannabis advocates and law enforcement alike — though those groups w
  
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• Men avoid eco-friendly behavior to feel more ‘manly,’ study finds

  01-02-2018 04:05
  
  If you want to help your husband finally distinguish between the trash can and the recycling bin, make him feel more manly, according to a recent study at Utah State University.
  
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• Tools for the self-employed: Here's how to make it work

  01-02-2018 03:33
  
  The number of people are self-employed has skyrocketed- and shows no signs of slowing down. Being your own boss sounds nice, but there are pitfalls. News Specialist Heather Simonsen tells us how to thrive in a changing workforce.
  
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• 'Liquid workforce' continues to grow

  01-02-2018 03:33
  
  The number of people are self-employed has skyrocketed and shows no signs of slowing down. Being your own boss sounds nice, but there are pitfalls.
  
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• 'A life event': Expectant parents invited to pregnancy expo

  01-02-2018 03:04
  SALT LAKE CITY — For many soon-to-be parents, the experience of pregnancy and new parenthood can be overwhelming.Utah has the highest fertility rate in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And many new mothers in Utah experience symptoms of postpartum depression — at a higher rate than average, according to the Utah Women and Leadership Project.To ease this journey, expectant and new mothers and fathers are invited to an expo designed to hel
  
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• Wednesday's Child: 'I just don't feel like anyone is going to want to adopt a 16-year-old'

  01-02-2018 03:01
  
  Junior is a 16-year-old boy who loves to skateboard. He's been living in foster care for more than four years and is anxious to find an adoptive family before it's too late.
  
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