Utah news

• Opioid drug overdose deaths are down in Utah, but what about emergency visits?

  07-03-2018 23:56
  
  While opioid-related deaths are down 15 percent in Utah, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a 30 percent increase nationwide in opioid-related drug overdose emergency department visits.
  
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• Why you should visit the Bear River Bird Refuge this spring

  07-03-2018 23:32
  
  The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a national treasure close to cities along the Wasatch Front. The refuge contains 80,000 acres of wetland habitat for 250 species of wild birds, and spring is a great time to visit.
  
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• International Sportsmen’s Expo March 15-18 in Sandy

  07-03-2018 22:43
  SANDY — The International Sportsmen's Expo — Utah's largest outdoor and sportsmen's event — is set for Thursday, March 15 through Sunday, March 18, at the Mountain America Expo Center, 9575 S. State.The event, which is sponsored by KSL-TV, will feature more than 300 booths filled with camping and outdoor gear, fishing tackle and hunting accessories.The event will also include workshops, a game-butchering and cooking clinic, a world-class taxidermy display and the Rocky Mountain
  
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• Free seminar on hunting wild turkeys set for March 17

  07-03-2018 22:28
  BLANDING — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is hosting a free seminar on hunting wild turkeys on March 17 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Blanding Arts and Events Center, 715 W. 200 South.The seminar will include presentations by experienced turkey hunters on such topics as where to find Merriam's and Rio Grande turkeys in Utah; how to tell a mature tom from a juvenile or a hen; turkey habitat and food preferences; daily and seasonal behavior patterns; the best hunting equipment a
  
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• Rabies clinic set for April 14 in South Jordan

  07-03-2018 22:17
  SOUTH JORDAN — The city's annual rabies clinic is set for Saturday, April 14, from 8 a.m. to noon, at the South Jordan Animal Shelter, 10882 S. Park Road.During the event, rabies vaccinations will be $15 and boosters will be $10.Initial dog licenses will be sold for $10. A renewal license will sell for $5 for neutered pets and $20 for non-neutered pets.Cats are welcome but must be in a pet carrier.
  
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• Police: Kidnapping suspect stole police car, tried to hit officer

  07-03-2018 22:17
  CLINTON — Police say a man they had just handcuffed in a drug and kidnapping case stole a patrol car and tried to hit an officer in a chase over snowy roads that ended near the Great Salt Lake Sunday.Emanuelle Taylor, 19, accelerated toward Clinton officer Dustin Labbe, according to a probable-cause affidavit Labbe wrote. He didn't fire his gun because a man snow-blowing a driveway would have been struck. He allegedly led officers to West Point and rammed other police vehicles, evading off
  
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• Rocky Mountain funding 15 renewable energy projects in Utah, Wyoming

  07-03-2018 22:14
  SALT LAKE CITY — Rocky Mountain Power has awarded Blue Sky funding for 15 renewable energy projects for community-serving organizations.According to the company, the $1.8 million in grants will help build solar arrays that offset energy costs, allowing the organizations to focus more funding on the populations they serve.The 15 organizations include Bluffdale fire stations Nos. 91 and 92; Bluffdale City Hall; Utah State University; Ogden Rescue Mission; Your Community Connection Family Cri
  
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• 1 dead, 1 critically injured in Provo crash

  07-03-2018 22:08
  
  One person died and another was critically injured in a head-on crash that closed a section of road for several hours Wednesday, police said.
  
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• Applications being accepted for ‘Harry Potter’-themed camps

  07-03-2018 22:06
  WEST JORDAN — Salt Lake County Library Services is taking applications for its "Harry Potter"-inspired Outstanding Wizarding Levels (O.W.L.) Camp June 25 through June 30 at the library's Viridian Event Center, 8030 S. 1825 West.Students ages 11 to 18 will spend one day participating in STEM-based curriculum while attending classes such as potions, astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Quidditch.Classes will be taught by instructors from the Clark Planetari
  
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• Driver killed in head-on crash in Provo

  07-03-2018 22:03
  PROVO — One person died and another was seriously injured Wednesday in a head-on crash in Provo.The crash occurred shortly after 11 a.m. as two vehicles traveling in opposite directions on 1860 South collided near Colorado Avenue, according to Provo Police Sgt. Nisha King.King said one of the vehicles moved into the oncoming lane, striking the second vehicle head-on. A female driver from one vehicle and a male driver from the other were both transported to an area hospital, where one drive
  
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• Utah man who shot friend in the back sentenced to prison

  07-03-2018 21:51
  SALT LAKE CITY — A West Valley man found guilty of murder for shooting his friend in the back was sentenced to prison Monday.Christopher James Bonds, 28, was sentenced to at least 15 years and up to life in prison for murder, a first-degree felony, in the death of Byron Williams, 26.A jury found Bonds guilty of the murder and four firearms charges in January. He was exonerated on one count of discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony.Police were called to 1800 W. Parkway Blvd. on Nov.
  
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• Utah House gives heartfelt tribute to late parks director Fred Hayes

  07-03-2018 21:39
  SALT LAKE CITY — The man who embodied the success of Utah's 44 state parks will likely have one named in his honor after a touching tribute in the state Legislature to Fred Hayes, who died suddenly last Friday.HCR21, by Rep. Lee Perry, R-Perry, passed the House 65-0 Wednesday and moves to the Senate.Hayes, 58, began his career with the parks division at Starvation State Park in 1982, working as a seasonal ranger aide at the northeastern Utah park.By 2012, he was appointed director of the U
  
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• Wanted fugitive rams patrol vehicle during chase, W.V. police say

  07-03-2018 21:38
  WEST VALLEY CITY — A wanted fugitive with a history of fleeing from police hit a patrol car and led officers on yet another chase late Tuesday, according to West Valley police.About 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, a West Valley police officer spotted Todd Jason Pace, 32, of West Valley City, in the parking lot of Embassy Suites, 3524 S. Market St., said West Valley police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku.Pace, a wanted fugitive, was seen getting into a Chevrolet TrailBlazer that was later determined to be
  
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• Utah House passes bill to repeal controversial election law

  07-03-2018 21:25
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House passed legislation Wednesday that could lead to the repeal of a controversial election law while ensuring candidates who file to run for office under that law would be on the 2018 primary election ballot.Many Republicans have regretted voting for a bill four years ago to head off the Count My Vote initiative to replace the state's long-standing caucus/convention system for nominating candidates with a direct primary election. The SB54 compromise maintained t
  
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• Have You Seen This? The art of not panicking on Utah roads

  07-03-2018 21:15
  
  Tip No. 1: Listen to Enya while you drive and it will be a lot easier to stay calm.
  
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• Utah massage therapist sent to prison for inappropriately touching woman

  07-03-2018 21:08
  SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake massage therapist was sentenced to prison Monday for inappropriately touching a woman during a massage.Nevin Timothy Sheehan, 22, was ordered to serve up to five years for attempted forcible sexual abuse, a third-degree felony. He pleaded guilty to the charge in November, which was reduced from a single count of object rape, a first-degree felony, in a deal with prosecutors.In July 2016, Sheehan was giving a woman a massage at the Healing Mountain Massage Schoo
  
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• 'Doubt is the precursor of fear': Solo climber Alex Honnold describes the mental side of scaling El Capitan

  07-03-2018 20:47
  Alex Honnold did something no one had ever done — he free-soloed the El Capitan vertical rock formation in California.Honnold, who climbed El Capitan without any safety gear in 2017, spoke in an interview with Qualtrics CEO Ryan Smith on Wednesday afternoon at the Qualtrics X4 Summit about how he mentally prepared for the 3,000-foot climb at Yosemite National Park.For a long time, he said, it was a dream he never thought he'd reach."The dream meant enough to me that it was time to actually
  
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• Police say man collected 'massive amount' of stolen property

  07-03-2018 20:27
  SOUTH SALT LAKE — South Salt Lake police say it may be another day or two before they finish going through the massive amount of suspected stolen items stored in and around a man's property.In fact, police say the big break in the case came because the man apparently ran out of space to store all of his stolen items.Anthony Lee Cantrell, 38, of South Salt Lake, was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday for investigation of 10 counts of theft by receiving stolen prop
  
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• Bill making drug-induced homicide a first-degree felony fails in Utah Senate

  07-03-2018 20:18
  SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that would have established drug-induced homicide as a first-degree felony to target dealers failed to pass the Senate on Wednesday."It says we're going to hold you accountable," said Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, the Senate sponsor of the bill, HB309.Bramble said the bill makes it clear that those illegally selling drugs that lead to a death are responsible.But Sen. Dan Hemmert, R-Orem, questioned the need for a new crime on the books. Hemmert said he was looking for
  
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• Bill creates scholarships for Utah technical college students in high-demand programs

  07-03-2018 19:55
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate on Wednesday gave final passage to HB437, which creates scholarships for qualifying state technical students in high-demand programs.HB437, sponsored by Rep. Keith Grover, R-Provo, carries an appropriation of $800,000.The scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, program fees and required textbooks for the high-demand program in which scholarships recipients are enrolled or intend to enroll, the legislation states.The bill requires the Utah System of Tec
  
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• Dia Acquires ‘Sun Tunnels,’ Its First Piece of Land Art by a Woman

  07-03-2018 19:49
  The monumental work, created in Utah by Nancy Holt in the mid-1970s, consists of four concrete hollow cylinders arranged in a cross shape in the desert.
  
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• 21 quotes from Arianna Huffington about sleep and mental health from the Qualtrics X4 Summit

  07-03-2018 19:22
  The Qualtrics X4 Summit kicked off Wednesday afternoon with a speech from Arianna Huffington, the creator of The Huffington Post.Huffington, who launched The Huffington Post in 2005 and has since started a new company called Thrive, spoke to the summit crowd about why people need to build a better work-life balance and the dangers of too much time using technology.Huffington said it's important for people to get more sleep as well.We've collected 21 quotes from Huffington about sleep deprivation
  
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• In Utah, It’s the Donald J. Trump Highway vs. the ‘Stormy Daniels Rampway’

  07-03-2018 18:00
  A Utah lawmaker introduced a bill that would rename the state’s most scenic route in honor of the president. An opponent has suggested an unusual amendment.
  
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• Gov. Herbert says it's premature to name southern Utah highway after Trump

  07-03-2018 15:18
  
  Though Gov. Gary Herbert appreciates some of what President Donald Trump has done, he said it might be too early to name a southern Utah highway after him.
  
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• Police: West Valley man rams patrol vehicle in chase

  07-03-2018 15:13
  WEST VALLEY CITY — Authorities were searching for a man Wednesday morning after he rammed a police vehicle during a pursuit.Police located a man wanted for felony warrants at Embassy Suites in West Valley City, 3524 S. Market St., said West Valley Police Lt. Mike Fossmo. The man fled from police in a Chevrolet Trailblazer when they tried to arrest him.Fossmo said the man rammed a patrol vehicle as he left. No officers were injured.Multiple tires were spiked, and Fossmo said the pursuit was
  
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• Fleeing vehicle rams officer's car, police say

  07-03-2018 15:00
  
  West Valley police are looking for a wanted man who they say rammed an officer's car while fleeing Tuesday night.
  
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• Police: Routine check turns up stolen boats and jet skis in South Salt Lake

  07-03-2018 07:40
  
  A routine check on an abandoned trailer Tuesday led to the discovery of a trove of oversized stolen goods, including boats, jet skis and more than a dozen other trailers, police said.
  
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• Photos: March Madness dreams dashed

  07-03-2018 05:59
  Brigham Young University's hopes of making the NCAA Tournament were dashed as Gonzaga pulled away in the second half of the West Coast Conference tournament final Tuesday night, topping the Cougars 74-54. Cougar players Yoeli Childs, left, TJ Haws and Jahshire Hardnett watch from the bench as the second half winds down.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
  
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• Report shows drop in Utah overdose deaths; Naloxone credited

  07-03-2018 05:33
  
  Statistics released by the CDC show overdose deaths in Utah declined 15.2 percent in the months leading up to the summer of 2017. State health officials believe the numbers could be a sign that the availability of Naloxone is making a difference.
  
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• Change of Plans? Road Home's 2019 closure date 'unreasonable,' Salt Lake City councilwoman says

  07-03-2018 05:32
  SALT LAKE CITY — As plans for homeless reform have taken shape, questions have lingered about how two 200-bed shelters in Salt Lake City and a third 300-bed shelter in South Salt Lake would serve the population currently living at the Road Home's nearly 1,100-bed downtown shelter.Critics have worried the math wouldn't add up — that the 700 new beds wouldn't be enough and would leave 400 others unsheltered. Along the way, officials have said the gap would be offset by other programs m
  
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• UTA's $50 million price tag for name change doesn't stop bill from passing

  07-03-2018 04:52
  SALT LAKE CITY — Even a $50 million price tag for changing the name of the Utah Transit Agency wasn't enough to derail a massive transportation bill in the House Tuesday.SB136, which would change the name of UTA to Transit District of Utah, passed the House 54-14 and returns to the Senate because of new language that makes the Utah Attorney General's Office the agency's legal counsel.The House sponsor of SB136, Rep. Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, dismissed the UTA estimate for the name change, sa
  
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• Senate passes bill restricting noncompete contracts in Utah broadcast media

  07-03-2018 04:45
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Senate narrowly passed a bill Tuesday that would restrict the use of noncompete contracts in Utah broadcast media."The support from journalists has been overwhelming," said Sen. Dan Hemmert, R-Orem, the Senate sponsor of HB241. He said it "makes sense" to place restrictions on noncompete contracts to curb abuses in the broadcast industry.Noncompete contracts prevent employees from going to work for a competitor or start a similar business for a prescribed period of tim
  
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• Trolley Square victim offered real-time reaction, survivor support to Florida teen

  07-03-2018 04:37
  
  The scared Florida student's tweet was jarring, but what really grabbed Britnee Webb were the accompanying photos, forcing her to remember how it felt to crouch beneath a table in Salt Lake, waiting for police during the Trolley Square shooting.
  
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• Utah political leaders join chorus of naysayers on Trump tariff terms

  07-03-2018 03:56
  SALT LAKE CITY — Most Utah political leaders aren't squeamish in expressing their distaste and concerns over President Donald Trump's plan to assess tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum to address international trade imbalances.While the president's position on Monday still rang adamant about pushing forward with the new levies, Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., who opposes the tariffs, told the Associated Press after a meeting Tuesday with White House chief of staff John Kell
  
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• Utah Gov. Herbert backs deal between Our Schools Now, lawmakers

  07-03-2018 03:40
  SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Gary Herbert supports the proposed deal between state lawmakers and Our Schools Now to provide more money to education and doesn't want to see them "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.""I'm impressed that they have been able to come together from some disparate points of view and we're so close, I'd like to see them close the deal," he said Tuesday during a media availability at the Capitol.The governor said his forceful position on the proposal doesn't stem from
  
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• Utah House approves $36 million for school enrollment growth

  07-03-2018 02:47
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House of Representatives unanimously approved SB2 Tuesday, the state budget for public education for the upcoming year.The budget contemplates spending more than $36 million for enrollment growth. Utah's public school enrollment is estimated to exceed 660,000 students this fall, an increase of some 7,681 students from the previous year.SB2 provides for a 4 percent increase to the value of the weighted pupil unit, 2.5 percent for ongoing expenses, and 1.5 percent f
  
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• Orem man arrested for allegedly pouring gasoline in neighbor’s home

  07-03-2018 02:29
  
  Police arrested a 19-year-old Orem man early Sunday morning after he allegedly poured gasoline in his neighbor’s shed and then broke into his sister’s home while intoxicated.
  
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• Inspired by Florida victims, Utah lawmakers to encourage acts of kindness

  07-03-2018 02:25
  SALT LAKE CITY — What Hannah Beardall best remembers about her friend and former classmate Alaina Petty is the girl's kindness.She remembers Alaina — an LDS 14-year-old who was among the 17 shot and killed last month at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — volunteering with Mormon Helping Hands mucking out homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina."It's really physical work, but Alaina always did more than the physical work. She was just caring. She would do anyth
  
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• Photos: 2018 legislative session winding down

  07-03-2018 02:08
  Rep. Craig Hall, R-West Valley City, leans back in his chair during a meeting of the House in the final days of the 2018 Legislature at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday. As of Tuesday afternoon, 323 bills had passed in both the House and the Senate, including 21 that have already been signed by Gov. Gary Herbert. Herbert has 20 days to sign or veto legislation or it becomes a law without his signature. Successful bills become effective 60 days after the session has ended unless there is
  
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• Gov. Gary Herbert says it's premature to name southern Utah highway after Trump

  07-03-2018 01:58
  SALT LAKE CITY — Though Gov. Gary Herbert appreciates some of what President Donald Trump has done, he said it might be too early to name a southern Utah highway after him."It's a little premature to me from the standpoint of doing it," he said Tuesday.Herbert said roads and buildings in Utah are typically named for people who are no longer in office or have died, listing Bangerter Highway, James V. Hansen Highway and Matheson Courthouse as examples.The governor said he hasn't been out fro
  
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• New lighting at Smith's Ballpark to enhance experience for players, fans

  07-03-2018 01:47
  
  Play ball! Players, umpires and fans will see Salt Lake Bees' games in a whole new light this season after a major overhaul of the lighting system at Smith's Ballpark.
  
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• Photos: Harmons aiming to raise more than $200K for Utah's Special Olympians

  07-03-2018 01:14
  Chad Dumas sends his ball down the lane during Harmons' annual Bowl-a-Palooza at Bonwood Bowl in South Salt Lake on Tuesday. The event, which paired Harmons employees with Special Olympians, kicked off the grocery chain's 24th annual fundraising campaign to benefit Special Olympics Utah. Customers can help Harmons reach its goal of raising more than $200,000 by purchasing root beer floats prepared by Special Olympics Utah athletes in stores every Friday and Saturday in March, or by donating $1,
  
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• Man charged with killing 2 dogs 'in a rage'

  07-03-2018 01:14
  OGDEN — Police have arrested a Weber County man charged with killing his two dogs.Carey Dee Hill, 60, was originally charged with misdemeanor crimes on Feb. 23. But the case was amended on Feb. 28 and he is charged in 2nd District Court with two counts of torture of a companion animal, a third-degree felony.A warrant was issued for his arrest on Monday and he was booked into the Weber County Jail. Hill is scheduled to make an initial appearance in court on Wednesday.On Feb. 17, Weber Count
  
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• Former Utah teacher sentenced to prison for sexually abusing 2 students

  07-03-2018 01:08
  OGDEN — A former middle school teacher from Weber County is going to prison for sexually abusing two young girls.Drew Daniel Tutt, 29, was sentenced Feb. 28 to serve concurrent sentences of up to five years in prison for two counts of sexual abuse of a minor student, a third-degree felony.Tutt, of Plain City in Weber County, pleaded guilty to the charges as part of a plea deal in December. In exchange, additional charges were dismissed, including two counts of enticing a minor by internet
  
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• SLC on pace for 5th warmest winter on record, the National Weather Service says

  07-03-2018 00:44
  
  Even with recent snowstorms and a cold stretch, it has been an overall warm winter in Utah.
  
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• Mitt Romney's response to report about Russia blocking him: 'I don't know what the president's process was'

  07-03-2018 00:38
  A recent New Yorker piece that profiled former British spy Christopher Steele claimed Russia tried to block Mitt Romney from becoming secretary of state.According to the New Yorker article, Steele, who penned a dossier that has become a centerpiece in "the current federal investigation into President Donald Trump's possible ties to Russia," is believed to have spoken with special counsel Robert Mueller about a memo he wrote in November 2016, which included a claim about Romney.The memo cited "a
  
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