Utah news

• Ogden appoints new deputy fire chief

  16-02-2018 23:03
  OGDEN — Shelby Willis, the fire chief of Largo, Florida, has been appointed as deputy fire chief effective April 1.Willis served in various capacities over the last 20 years with Largo Fire Department as a firefighter/paramedic, emergency medical service lieutenant, division chief, deputy fire chief and chief.In addition to her professional fire service experience, she has served as a noncommissioned police officer in the U.S. Air Force. She has a master's degree in safety-security and eme
  
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• Utah sex assault coalition launches new app for survivors, families

  16-02-2018 22:59
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault has launched a new mobile application called You Are A Survivor, which is designed to put important resources and support in the hands of sexual assault survivors and their families.The free app, which is available at the Apple Store and Google Play Store, includes a variety of information, resources and links to service providers."Today marks the beginning of a new era in our efforts to serve sexual assault survivors across the st
  
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• Salt Lake man charged in connection with fatal crash

  16-02-2018 22:55
  SALT LAKE CITY — A man involved in a crash last year that resulted in the death of one of his children has been charged.Salah Abdalla Omar, 30, of Salt Lake City, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with driving with measurable controlled substances and causing death, a third-degree felony; driving on a suspended license, a class C misdemeanor; and two infractions: failing to yield and failing to wear a seatbelt.On June 22, Omar was driving a 2012 Ford Fusion and collided with a 1994
  
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• UDOT to begin bridge project in Thatcher on Monday

  16-02-2018 22:53
  THATCHER, Box Elder County — The Utah Department of Transportation on Monday will begin replacing the bridge over the West Canal at 11600 West.The road will be reduced to one lane with a temporary traffic signal directing traffic. Motorists should expect delays and are advised to use alternate routes when travel is time sensitive.On Thursday, crews will begin culinary waterline work in preparation for the removal of the bridge, forcing drinking water to be shut off in the Thatcher-Penrose
  
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• S.L. County Library marks 1.9M digital checkouts in 2017

  16-02-2018 22:51
  SALT LAKE CITY — Readers borrowed nearly 2 million digital materials from the Salt Lake County Library system during 2017.The system totaled more than 1.97 million digital checkouts in 2017, more than half of which were circulated through the library's partnership with OverDrive, a digital reading platform widely utilized by library systems around the world, the library said in a statement.That 1.97-million mark signified an increase of more than 50,000 digital materials over the 2016 tota
  
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• Utah man tried to light house on fire with kids inside, charges say

  16-02-2018 22:32
  
  A Lehi man was charged Friday with trying to start a fire in his house while his children were inside and making it look like an accident.
  
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• SR-190 reopens in Big Cottonwood Canyon after head-on crash

  16-02-2018 21:09
  
  Eastbound lanes of state Route 190 reopened Friday afternoon after a head-on crash earlier in the day.
  
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• How the warm winter is affecting Utah's wildlife

  16-02-2018 20:54
  
  Utah is experiencing a warmer than normal winter that is having an affect on Utah's wildlife. Here's a look at how.
  
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• Charges: Utahn duped elderly Mormon missionary out of $100K

  16-02-2018 20:21
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Attorney General's Office has filed charges against a Layton man who it says stole more than $100,000 from an elderly LDS missionary.Keith Evan McKnight, 54 — who is still on probation for a prior conviction of communications fraud — was charged Thursday with communications fraud, a second-degree felony.The 87-year-old alleged victim was conducting counseling sessions as a licensed clinical social worker for a 12-step program while serving as a mission
  
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• Mitt Romney: 'I'm in the fight,' and with Trump's policy agenda

  16-02-2018 20:09
  MARRIOTT-SLATERVILLE, Weber County — Over a plate of oversized buttermilk pancakes, Mitt Romney said Friday he's running for Senate because he wants to be "in the fight" and supports President Donald Trump's policy agenda."I'm in the fight. Just because you don't get promoted to general doesn't mean you stop fighting. There are things I believe in very deeply," the 2012 GOP presidential nominee exclusively told the Deseret News in his first interview as a candidate.Romney, who launched his
  
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• Former Utah State student: 'my piano instructor raped me'

  16-02-2018 20:01
  LOGAN – A 29-year-old woman has come forward saying that her piano instructor raped her while she was a student at Utah State University, and that she was not taken seriously when she reported the incident to school authorities.Whitney McPhie Griffith told the Deseret News she was 21 years old and in her first semester at the university when the alleged incident occurred in 2009.The Deseret News does not typically name alleged victims of sexual assault, but Griffith has agreed to the use o
  
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• Utahraptor bill sails through House committee

  16-02-2018 19:49
  SALT LAKE CITY — A bill to designate the Utahraptor as the state dinosaur sailed through a House committee Thursday.Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, sponsor of SB43, told the committee that the Allosaurus was chosen as the state fossil because it was found in Utah.When "Jurassic Park" hit theaters in 1993, it depicted raptors that were easily 7 feet tall, Bramble said. But the only raptor fossils known at the time were the size of large turkeys. Then, the Utahraptor was found three months later
  
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• Police don’t believe ISIS flag at high school was placed by anyone tied to Islamic State

  16-02-2018 19:36
  
  After consulting with the FBI, police said they do not believe the vandalism suspect who took down an American Flag flying at Hurricane High School and replaced it with an ISIS flag Thursday is linked to the Islamic State.
  
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• Photos: Governor’s Office of Economic Development promotes tech industry at Capitol

  16-02-2018 19:34
  Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox joined key tech industry leaders and legislators at the Capitol for Tech Day on the Hill. Discussion topics included industry challenges, job creation and opportunities.According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, Utah had the greatest percentage of tech job growth in the nation in 2016 at 7.7 percent. Careers in software and information technology represent more than 73,000 jobs among more than 4,000 companies, according to the bureau.See the world through the eyes of a
  
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• Charges: Utah man tried to light house on fire with kids inside

  16-02-2018 19:15
  LEHI — A Lehi man was charged Friday with trying to start a fire in his house while his children were inside and making it look like an accident.On Feb. 12, police say Brad Thomas Hanks, 36, locked his wife out of their house while keeping his three juvenile children inside."The wife could see smoke in the house," charging documents state.When the woman told Hanks she was calling 911, he unsuccessfully tried to take her phone away and then ran off, according to the charges.Inside, investig
  
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• Utah police employee admits selling evidence on eBay

  16-02-2018 19:11
  SALT LAKE CITY — A former Hurricane Police Department employee has pleaded guilty to selling items out of the department's evidence room on his daughter's eBay account.Kurt B. Tanner, 55, of St. George, pleaded guilty Tuesday to misuse of public money, a third-degree felony.Charging documents say Tanner, an evidence technician with the police department, was taking property obtained by officers as evidence and giving it "to a company that was owned by his daughter to be sold on eBay. The m
  
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• Police: Woman stole Ogden ambulance while first responders were busy on a call

  16-02-2018 18:52
  
  A motel wasn’t expecting a visit from the paramedics Tuesday night or who turned out to be behind the wheel of the truck.
  
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• Police arrest man in connection with Millcreek shooting

  16-02-2018 18:31
  
  A man believed to be connected with a shooting at a smoke shop in Millcreek that left a man injured last week was arrested during a traffic stop Thursday night, police said.
  
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• Salt Lake lawmaker urges restorative justice to better manage school discipline

  16-02-2018 18:28
  SALT LAKE CITY — A House resolution that urges the state's school system to implement restorative justice programs to better address student discipline was endorsed Friday by the House Education Committee.The bill moves to the full House for further consideration.HR1, sponsored by Rep. Sandra Hollins, D-Salt Lake City, notes that restorative justice programs help students stay in school and deal with their challenges in healthy, constructive ways.Hollins, who is a social worker, said she b
  
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• Arrest made in Millcreek smoke shop shooting

  16-02-2018 18:11
  MILLCREEK — Unified police have arrested a West Valley man in connection with the shooting of an 18-year-old man in an alley near a smoke shop earlier this month.Elhelbawy Adam Idrees, 19, was arrested for investigation of four counts of attempted aggravated murder and three counts of felony discharge of a firearm.On Feb. 8, about 8 p.m., employees and customers in Pharoah's Smoke Shop, 3925 S. State, heard shots being fired and walked outside to find an 18-year-old victim with a gunshot w
  
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• Clean-technology products showcased on Capitol Hill, committee OKs bolts on class doors

  16-02-2018 17:37
  
  Utah lawmakers got a look at some clean-technology products, and a committee passed a bill allowing schools to install bolt locks.
  
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• Online jobs initiative aims to stop export of young adults from rural Utah

  16-02-2018 17:09
  
  Rural Utah is struggling to hang onto its youthful workforce due to lack of opportunities that force them to leave their roots and relocate elsewhere. A rural online jobs initiative project endorsed in a legislative committee aims to stop that.
  
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• Legislature has spoken: Farnsworth needs to make way for Cannon

  16-02-2018 17:05
  
  The Utah Legislature has spoken: Philo T. Farnsworth needs to make way for Martha Hughes Cannon in the U.S. Capitol.
  
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• Utah House snuffs out tobacco-free Capitol bill

  16-02-2018 17:01
  
  A bill that would have banned smoking and tobacco use on the Utah Capitol grounds was snuffed out Thursday by the House.
  
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• Utah Legislature passes resolution honoring late LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson

  16-02-2018 16:55
  
  The Utah Legislature unanimously passed a resolution Thursday honoring the late LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson.
  
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• Bill allowing schools to install bolt locks to barricade classroom doors passes

  16-02-2018 16:51
  
  The day after a school shooting that killed 17 students and adults at a high school in Parkland, Florida, the Utah Senate gave final passage Thursday to legislation that allows school districts to install bolt locks on classroom doors for lockdowns.
  
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• 'Amazing it survived:' How a rare Revolutionary War-era document ended up in Utah

  16-02-2018 16:48
  
  A rare copy of the "American Crisis" — a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine during the early months of the Revolutionary War — found in rural Utah nearly three years ago is slated to make a ton of money when it's auctioned off in April.
  
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• Mitt Romney Announces Senate Run, Saying Utah ‘Has a Lot to Teach’ Washington

  16-02-2018 16:22
  Mr. Romney, a critic of the president, officially confirmed that he would run to fill the seat of Senator Orrin G. Hatch, who is retiring.
  
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• Mitt Romney launches U.S. Senate campaign in video praising Utahns, criticizing federal dysfunction

  16-02-2018 15:45
  SALT LAKE CITY — Praising Utahns' "can-do pioneering spirit" and calling out federal dysfunction, Mitt Romney launched his campaign for the U.S. Senate in a brief video Friday."Utah has a lot to teach the politicians in Washington," the 2012 Republican presidential nominee says in the 2 ½-minute clip.Romney said he decided to run for Senate to help bring Utah's values and lessons to Washington."Utah is a better model for Washington than Washington is for Utah," he said.Utah has bala
  
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• KSL Investigates: Growing number of children in gangs

  16-02-2018 06:40
  
  Two separate Salt Lake County shootings are connected by one fact: they involved teenagers. The KSL Investigators rode along with the Metro Gang Unit to understand causes of a growing problem: children connected to gangs.
  
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• Brainiacs all, Wasatch Front's top high school seniors compete to become Sterling Scholars

  16-02-2018 05:53
  
  From Ogden to Draper, the Wasatch Front's top high school seniors competed in the semifinals of the Deseret News/KSL Sterling Scholars program Thursday. The scholarship and recognition program started in the 1960s.
  
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• Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes on short list of candidates to lead Salt Lake Chamber

  16-02-2018 05:48
  SALT LAKE CITY — House Speaker Greg Hughes is on a short list of candidates to replace Lane Beattie when the longtime Salt Lake Chamber president and CEO steps down, the Deseret News has learned.Hughes, R-Draper, acknowledged that he's talked with the chamber about the position, though he declined to elaborate on those discussions, noting that the House is midway through the Legislature's 45-day session and weighty issues such as trying to funnel more money to education and cutting taxes s
  
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• Charge dropped against nurse in Duchesne jail death

  16-02-2018 05:27
  SALT LAKE CITY — A judge on Thursday dropped a misdemeanor negligent homicide charge against a Duchesne County Jail nurse charged in the death of a 21-year-old inmate.Judge Lyle Anderson in Utah's 8th District Court said there was not enough evidence showing Jana Clyde, 50, grossly deviated from the standard of care or that there was a substantial, unjustifiable risk of death at the time. The decision followed a preliminary hearing with testimony from jail staff and others.Clyde's attorney
  
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• Brainiacs all, Utah's top high school seniors compete to become Sterling Scholars

  16-02-2018 04:57
  WEST JORDAN — Sitting in a booth in the cafeteria of Copper Hills High School, Herriman High School senior Sabrina Lin drew a deep breath and attempted to explain her passion for the visual arts."When I was really young, my parents originally had a goal for me to be in a professional career because that makes money and they wanted their children to be well off, especially my mom," Lin said. At the time, Lin's family was living in a "poverty stricken area of Brooklyn" so her parents were pa
  
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• ‘This is a devastating tragedy’: Utah representatives weigh in on Florida shooting

  16-02-2018 03:33
  
  As news came in Wednesday about the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, local Utah political figures began weighing in.
  
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• 'Speak Out,' ‘Opt Out' & 'Throw Out': Utah County officials raise awareness on prescription opioid addiction

  16-02-2018 03:00
  
  As people are given a prescription for a painkiller following an injury, few patients may realize the relief the opioid provides also increases the risk of addiction when those drugs are misused.
  
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• Committee OKs bill giving $1M for counties to fight intergenerational poverty

  16-02-2018 02:31
  SALT LAKE CITY — The House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee on Thursday recommended a bill appropriating $1 million that counties can use for initiatives combatting intergenerational poverty.HB326, sponsored by Rep. Edward Redd, would make the one-time money available through a newly created Poverty Plan Implementation Pilot Program. The committee vote was unanimous.Under the bill, a county could apply for grants from the program, so long as its proposal details "outco
  
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• Draper man charged with kidnapping, torturing couple

  16-02-2018 01:52
  DRAPER — A Draper man was charged Thursday with multiple felonies after police say he kidnapped and tortured a couple, then twice tried to jump out of a police car after he was arrested.Edward Thomas Heuser, 31, is charged in 3rd District Court with two counts of aggravated kidnaping, aggravated sexual assault, arranging the distribution of drugs, and drug distribution, all first-degree felonies, among other charges.Bail was set at $1 million.On Feb. 10, a woman and man told police they we
  
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• Photos: House members pause to remember victims of school shooting

  16-02-2018 01:34
  Rep. Christine Watkins, R-Price, left, and other members of the Utah House of Representatives stand for a moment of silence at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday to honor the 17 people killed Wednesday during a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.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
  
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• Photos: Fourth-grade students tour the ‘people's house’

  16-02-2018 01:25
  Joshua Cowie, center, a fourth-grader at Delta North Elementary School, and his classmates tour the Capitol on Thursday. According to the Capitol's Visitor Center, more than 50,000 students from around the state toured the building in 2014. During the tour, docents who volunteer their time share the history of Utah and the building, and discuss the processes that govern the state. Free guided tours begin on the hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday except on state holidays. The tours
  
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• Photos: Activists wants every dog to have its day at the Legislature

  16-02-2018 01:20
  Sundays Hunt's dog Tex, canine mayor of Salt Lake County, lounges at the feet of animal advocates during Humane Lobby Day at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday. The activists were on the Hill in support of SB91, which makes it a crime to leave an animal tethered or unattended, under certain conditions, in a manner that prevents the animal from reaching shelter. The bill is being sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City.
  
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• Ex-BYU player pleads guilty to taking away contracts from disabled vets

  16-02-2018 01:14
  
  A former BYU football player has been convicted of taking away contracts that were supposed to go to businesses owned by disabled veterans — resulting in more than $16 million in payments from the government.
  
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• After delay, Romney to announce Senate bid Friday

  16-02-2018 01:06
  
  Mitt Romney has been making calls to Utah Republican lawmakers over the past couple of days seeking their support for the U.S. Senate campaign he now intends to launch Friday.
  
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• Panel OKs bill creating sex assault reporting guidelines for universities

  16-02-2018 00:43
  
  Legislation trying to balance confidentiality for college students who report sexual assaults to administrators and informing police to protect against potential campus predators drew criticism from victim advocates in a House committee Thursday.
  
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• CNN's Blitzer to speak at UVU commencement on May 3

  16-02-2018 00:30
  OREM — CNN political anchor Wolf Blitzer will give the keynote address at Utah Valley University's 77th commencement exercises on May 3 at the UCCU Center.Convocations for the University's individual colleges and schools will be held the next day.During the ceremony, honorary degrees will be conferred upon Blitzer; the Rev. France Davis, of Calvary Baptist Church; author and speaker Stephanie Nielson; and Jeffrey L. Sermon, president/CEO of Utah Community Credit Union.Blitzer, host of "The
  
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• Utah Department of Health names new state epidemiologist

  16-02-2018 00:23
  SALT LAKE CITY — Dr. Joe Miner, executive director of the Utah Department of Health, has named Dr. Angela Dunn to serve as state epidemiologist.Dunn first joined the department in 2014 on assignment from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an epidemic intelligence service officer. More recently, she has served as deputy state epidemiologist.As state epidemiologist, Dunn said in a statement, she looks forward to advancing efforts to address the state's ongoing opioid epidemic,
  
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• Association offers scholarships to Latino educators

  16-02-2018 00:23
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah affiliate of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents recently announced two $5,000 scholarships for Latino educators who aspire to school- or district-level leadership positions.The deadline for submitting an application is April 2. Interested parties can access the required materials at alas-utah.org.To qualify for a scholarship, candidates must either be enrolled in — or have been accepted into — an educational leadership program
  
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• Temporary changes made in Senate leadership

  16-02-2018 00:20
  SALT LAKE CITY — Temporary changes in Utah Senate leadership were announced Thursday because of health considerations for Senate Majority Leader Ralph Okerlund, R-Monroe.Okerlund has begun the process of being evaluated by doctors for potential heart and kidney transplants, an intensive medical process that requires more of his time and attention, according to a statement released by the Senate majority.Sen. Kevin Van Tassell, R-Vernal, will serve as majority leader until Okerlund's return
  
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• Herbert talks drugs, alcohol, abortion

  16-02-2018 00:15
  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Gary Herbert waded into the political fray Thursday in his first media availability since the Legislature began in January, taking questions on medical marijuana, the controversial .05 percent blood alcohol law and a proposal to ban abortions solely because the fetus has Down syndrome.While Herbert conceded the DUI law, which would be the toughest in the nation and go into effect Dec. 31, could be tweaked, he continued to defend it."You can drink until your eyes
  
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• Businesses showcase clean-technology products at Utah Capitol

  16-02-2018 00:13
  SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Edward Redd walked outside of the Capitol, mounted the electric bike by his side, and without breaking a sweat, he took off, doing circles around the Capitol building with effortless ease."It's awesome," the Logan Republican said. "You have to pedal, and … it kind of takes off while you pedal. It gives you assistance."Batteries on the so-called "e-bikes" last for about 150 miles, Redd was told.The bike he was riding Wednesday was on display during Clean Energy
  
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