Utah news

• Summit County files lawsuit against major opioid manufacturers

  20-03-2018 23:57
  
  Summit County officials filed a lawsuit Tuesday against more than a dozen “big pharma” opioid manufacturers and distributors.
  
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• Holladay man who hit, killed jogger seeks parole

  20-03-2018 23:54
  UTAH STATE PRISON — A man who hit and killed a jogger in 2013 while driving with methamphetamine in his system is seeking parole.On March 7, 2013, Ashton Lee Godfrey, 25, of Holladay, was driving about 7 a.m. along 1100 East near 3850 South, when he hit and killed Larry Madison, 64. Godfrey's blood tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine, charges state. Investigators found pipes, methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, alcohol, a loaded firearm, three knives and drug
  
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• Fire that temporarily closed Provo Center Street 'suspicious,' officials say

  20-03-2018 23:12
  
  Provo Center Street was closed for several hours Tuesday morning due to a fire in the area that officials are calling suspicious, according to fire officials.
  
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• Tribal representatives, public lands advocates decry oil, gas sale

  20-03-2018 23:10
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Bureau of Land Management offered 51,400 acres for potential oil and gas development in Utah and Colorado during an online auction on Tuesday, sparking protest by Native American tribal representatives and public lands advocates.A group of people including Sierra Club's national director Michael Brune and leaders of Salt Lake City-based Utah Dine Bikeyah, a Native American tribal advocacy group, spoke outside the downtown BLM offices against the auction."We will not be
  
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• Group repeats calls for embattled Utah County commissioner's resignation

  20-03-2018 23:06
  PROVO — A Utah advocacy group on Tuesday again repeated its call for embattled Utah County Commissioner Greg Graves' resignation.This time, Graves stayed to listen.Last week, when an Alliance for a Better Utah representative attended the County Commission's public meeting to renew the group's call for his resignation, the commissioner slipped out a back door before the public comment period."Perhaps Commissioner Graves believes that this scandal is something that will simply blow over and
  
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• U. player takes plea in confrontation involving racial slurs

  20-03-2018 22:56
  SALT LAKE CITY — A University of Utah football player has pleaded guilty to throwing an object at a man who allegedly hurled racial slurs at him first.Keven Christopher Dixon, 21, took a plea in abeyance on Monday to a charge of criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor. By entering into the plea deal, Dixon's charge will be dismissed if he has no further violations for one year, according to court records.Dixon's odd case started Aug. 16. According to Salt Lake police, another man, James D
  
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• Reports of woman kidnapped not 'credible,' police say

  20-03-2018 22:53
  
  Reports of a woman abducted in West Valley City Tuesday afternoon are not 'credible,' police say.
  
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• Road reopens at Outlets at Traverse Mountain after gas leak

  20-03-2018 22:34
  
  The intersection near the Outlets at Traverse Mountain in Lehi has reopened following a gas leak that closed the road and forced evacuations Tuesday morning.
  
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• User submitted: Winter ends with storms and rainbows

  20-03-2018 22:30
  
  This week's gallery is filled with pictures snapped by Utahns who were out and about enjoying nature.
  
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• Davis County hires animal control director

  20-03-2018 21:50
  FARMINGTON — Davis County has hired Rhett Nicks, director at Pocatello Animal Services in Idaho, as director of the county's Animal Care and Control Department.Nicks has been involved with animals for decades, having begun as a shelter volunteer in St. Louis, Missouri. His first assignment was to walk dogs. He was later offered a job to clean kennels at night, which began his career in animal care and services. While living in Missouri, Nicks worked for St. Louis Missouri Humane Society, A
  
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• Comparing Zion's Angels Landing to Yosemite's Half Dome

  20-03-2018 21:41
  
  Let's compare two legendary hiking trails: Angels Landing in Zion National Park and Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Here's what these two hikes have in common and which is the more demanding.
  
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• Officer shoots, critically injures male in West Valley City

  20-03-2018 21:37
  WEST VALLEY CITY — A police officer shot and wounded a male, likely a teenager, who he said tried to run over him Tuesday, leaving the victim hospitalized in extremely critical condition.A Granite School District police officer shot the driver of a vehicle about 12:50 p.m., according to district spokesman Ben Horsley."At one point (the officer) was on the hood," Horsley said.The officer was doing his regular patrol looking for truant students in the area of 4400 South and 5700 West when he
  
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• Officer looking for truant students shoots, critically injures juvenile in West Valley City

  20-03-2018 21:37
  WEST VALLEY CITY — A school district officer looking for truant students shot and wounded a juvenile, who he said tried to run over him, leaving the victim hospitalized in extremely critical condition Tuesday.The Granite School District police officer, in the first year of his law enforcement career, shot the juvenile about 12:50 p.m. when the young man drove a vehicle at him, according to district spokesman Ben Horsley."At one point (the officer) was on the hood," Horsley said.The officer
  
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• UTA to increase TRAX service during LDS General Conference

  20-03-2018 21:32
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Transit Authority will provide extra TRAX service for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' 188th Annual General Conference on Saturday, March 31, and Sunday, April 1.TRAX trains will include more cars on the Blue and Green lines, and extra trains will run before each of the conference's five sessions. Please note that FrontRunner does not run on Sundays.For those traveling with friends or family, UTA offers a group pass for $15 which allows up to four
  
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• S.L. County youths can enter Earth Day art contest

  20-03-2018 21:29
  SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County youths ages 12 to 21 are being urged to enter an art and media contest in celebration of Earth Day.The contest, co-sponsored by the local nonprofit ShelterKids, offers youths the chance to express through words and images solutions for reducing waste.Some ideas include:• Creating a video or art composition showing the changes people can make to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.• Writing an essay about how taking specific actions
  
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• 'We give of our resources': Herbert asks Utahns to donate to homeless fund on tax form

  20-03-2018 21:27
  SALT LAKE CITY — Well-spoken and pretty, Michelle Densley looks like a typical young mother in Utah.But just last year, Densley and her three children, ages 5 and under, were homeless after leaving a life of what she called "very profound" domestic violence. She came to Utah in February 2017, where the YWCA Utah offered her help.However, "I am the least of these (who are homeless)," Densley said.On Tuesday, Gov. Gary Herbert listened to Densley's story as he toured the YWCA with philanthro
  
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• Granite School District officer shot driver after being hit with vehicle, authorities say

  20-03-2018 21:15
  
  A Granite School District officer shot the driver of a car after he hit the officer with his vehicle at Hunter Ridge Park in West Valley Tuesday afternoon.
  
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• Crews remove 1970s pickup that mysteriously ended up in Colorado River

  20-03-2018 21:10
  
  Local and state officials are investigating how an older pickup truck ended up in the Colorado River in Moab. It was removed from the river Friday when it was determined to be a water hazard.
  
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• Man arrested in stabbing death of his father in South Salt Lake

  20-03-2018 20:11
  SOUTH SALT LAKE — An argument between a father and his adult son led to the father being stabbed to death Monday, according to South Salt Lake police.Just after 6:30 p.m., Warren Richard Phelps, 38, and his father Richard Phelps, 65, got into an argument in their apartment at 2757 S. 300 East. The argument was reportedly over a TV, according to police, who did not elaborate on Tuesday.Warren Phelps used a knife to stab his father multiple times, according to a statement from the department
  
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• Police seek public's help in identifying man in Layton bank robbery

  20-03-2018 19:25
  
  Police are searching for a man they say walked into a bank brandishing a handgun and demanding money before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of cash Tuesday morning.
  
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• Is Utah dependent on the U.S. government? Not really, new report says

  20-03-2018 19:00
  A new WalletHub report ranked Utah as one of the top 10 states in the country that is least dependent on the federal government.The list ranked all 50 states on how much they depend on federal support. WalletHub considered three major metrics, including return on taxes paid to the federal government, how much federal funding contributes to the state's revenue and the share of federal jobs in the state.Each state was given an "average dependency rank" to determine where it fits on the list.Utah r
  
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• Idaho man slams Delta for sending his puppy to Vegas and Salt Lake City in major mixup

  20-03-2018 18:51
  An Idaho man is criticizing Delta Air Lines for mixing up his pet puppy's flight to Boise.As CNN reported, the dog was supposed to fly from Richmond, Virginia, to Boise (after connecting flights in Detroit and Minneapolis) on Saturday night.However, the puppy accidentally went to Las Vegas and Salt Lake City before he arrived in Boise on Sunday. The puppy was reported as fine when he arrived in Boise.Owner Josh Schlaich said he went to the airport to pick up his dog on Saturday, but a Delta empl
  
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• Federal appeals court upholds Utah's controversial election law

  20-03-2018 18:40
  SALT LAKE CITY — A federal appeals court Tuesday upheld Utah's controversial election law that allows candidates to gather voter signatures in order to get on the primary election ballot.The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the law, known as SB54, "strikes an appropriate balance" between protecting the interests of the state in managing elections and allowing the Utah Republican Party and individuals to express their preferences in a democratic fashion and to form associations as p
  
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• Provo officials heard about sexual misconduct by former Chief John King years before alleged rape

  20-03-2018 18:28
  PROVO — Provo city officials learned about complaints of sexual misconduct by former Police Chief John King more than a year before a rape allegation brought about King's resignation, according to a new lawsuit and interviews with those close to the case.City Council members told the Deseret News that they held a closed-door meeting about King's conduct in late 2015 or early 2016. The lawsuit alleges that Congressman John Curtis, then Provo's mayor, chilled reporting by telling police depa
  
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• Arborist charged with destroying trees in Springdale

  20-03-2018 18:22
  SPRINGDALE, Washington County — The former arborist for Springdale was charged Tuesday with causing more than $20,000 in damage around the town hall by cutting down more than a dozen trees that he had planted.Shane Curtis Lowery, 52, of Hurricane, is charged in 5th District Court with criminal mischief, a second-degree felony.The vandalism was discovered on March 12, 2017."Damage included broken trees, pickleball courts ruined, a substance including skunk oil, urine and feces in several ar
  
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• Police: $1K reward offered in locating man who struck women with baseball bat

  20-03-2018 18:01
  
  Police are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man wanted in connection with assaulting his ex-girlfriend and another person with a baseball bat at a restaurant parking lot earlier this month.
  
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• Gas leak in Lehi closes road near Outlets at Traverse Mountain

  20-03-2018 17:46
  
  A gas leak near the Outlets at Traverse Mountain in Lehi closed the intersection at Cabela's Boulevard and Triumph Boulevard Tuesday morning.
  
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• South Jordan hires new deputy fire chief

  20-03-2018 17:45
  SOUTH JORDAN — Chris Dawson, a battalion chief with the Sandy Fire Department, has been hired as the city's new deputy fire chief. Dawson replaces Reed Thompson, who is now the Lone Peak fire chief.Dawson, who began his career as a volunteer firefighter and then climbed through the ranks, brings with him more than 22 years of emergency medical service experience and leadership to the position. In addition to serving as battalion chief, he's served as an EMT, paramedic, engineer, captain an
  
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• UHP trooper hits, arrests wrong-way driver with history of DUIs

  20-03-2018 17:39
  
  A Utah Highway Patrol trooper intentionally side-swiped a wrong-way driver on the Legacy Highway late Monday to stop the man before he injured or killed someone.
  
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• Provo Center Street reopens after fire causes closure

  20-03-2018 16:54
  
  Provo Center Street reopened after closing for several hours Tuesday morning due to a fire in the area, police said.
  
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• Beyond the march: Utah students empowered to bring change

  20-03-2018 15:03
  SALT LAKE CITY — Forty teenagers representing 10 high schools from Davis, Salt Lake and Utah counties came together Monday with a question to answer: How do you create lasting change and prevent school violence, even after media attention of the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting has faded and the well-publicized walkouts and coming marches are over?The event, created and organized by the Deseret News, was headlined "Beyond the March" organized and hosted by the Deseret News Monday to
  
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• Trooper hits wrong-way car to stop it, UHP says

  20-03-2018 13:46
  
  A Utah Highway Patrol trooper received minor injuries when he used his vehicle to stop a wrong-way driver in Davis County Monday night.
  
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• Police: Man stole woman's $10K winnings outside Wendover casino

  20-03-2018 05:12
  WENDOVER — A Bountiful man is accused of stealing $10,000 in winnings from a woman by ripping her purse from her hands in a casino parking lot late Sunday.Tad Marshall, 33, was booked into Tooele County Jail early Monday for investigation of theft and having drug paraphernalia, the Wendover Police Department said in a prepared statement Monday.The woman, whose name has not been released, was returning to her car in the parking lot of the Montego Bay Casino & Resort about midnight Sunda
  
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• BYU accounting, U. nursing informatics and environmental law rank in top 10 of grad programs

  20-03-2018 05:11
  SALT LAKE CITY — Brigham Young University's graduate-level accounting program and the University of Utah's graduate programs in nursing informatics and environmental law rank among the top 10 nationally, according to new rankings by U.S. News & World Reports.U.S. News evaluates graduate programs across six major disciplines: business, education, engineering, law, medicine and nursing. Its published report, 2019 Best Graduate Schools, helps guide "prospective students looking to continu
  
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• Utah governor signs bill allowing locks on classroom doors

  20-03-2018 05:10
  
  Gov. Gary Herbert has signed into law a measure allowing Utah school districts to install barricade locks on classroom doors.
  
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• Police: Man arrested in father's stabbing death

  20-03-2018 04:41
  SOUTH SALT LAKE — A 65-year-old man has died after his adult son allegedly stabbed him at a South Salt Lake apartment Monday, police said.The son, 38, called police to the home at 2757 South and 300 East about 6:30 p.m., said South Salt Lake police spokesman Gary Keller. Crews pronounced the older man dead at the scene and officers arrested the son, he said."It's just a sad situation involving an elderly father and an adult son," Keller said.Keller said the violence stemmed from "some type
  
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• Why wildlife officials euthanize invasive species

  20-03-2018 04:05
  
  A junior high school teacher in Preston, Idaho, made nationwide controversy after he allegedly fed a terminally ill puppy to a snapping turtle in front of students. Many are wondering why the Idaho Department of Agriculture euthanized the turtle.
  
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• Intermountain Healthcare employees brace for more job cuts as Utah's largest employer readies to 'adapt or die'

  20-03-2018 03:52
  SALT LAKE CITY — Weeks after the state's largest employer announced that 2,300 jobs would be outsourced, other employees at Intermountain Healthcare are unsettled by news their departments will soon be "realigned," which means more job losses are coming.Executives say announcements this Thursday will bring clarity and a period of stability as Intermountain, the state's largest healthcare provider, positions itself for a sea change in the healthcare industry.CEO Marc Harrison told the Deser
  
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• Troopers toast safe St. Patrick's Day

  20-03-2018 03:32
  SALT LAKE CITY — Even better than a pot of gold.St. Patrick's Day ended on an especially high note, according to the Utah Highway Patrol. No one died on Utah's roads as a result of drunken driving, and there were no "serious" crashes, the UHP said Monday on Twitter."Troopers witnessed a lot of ride sharing, taxis and designated drivers," the agency wrote.Even so, not everyone managed to arrange for a ride home, the UHP said. Of 1,025 traffic stops, 16 ended in DUI arrests.
  
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• Here are the Central Utah Region 2018 Sterling Scholar winners and runners-up

  20-03-2018 03:13
  The Deseret News and KSL Broadcast Group developed the Sterling Scholar program to focus attention on outstanding high school seniors. The purpose is to recognize them publicly as well as award cash scholarships and tuition waivers from participating institutions.The forty-sixth annual Sterling Scholar competition for the Central Utah Region was hosted on March 15 at Richfield High School.The 2018 winners and runners-up in their respective categories are:GENERAL SCHOLARSHIPWinner: Derek Atkinson
  
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• SUU student aviators take to the skies to help law enforcement

  20-03-2018 03:05
  
  Southern Utah University’s aviation program is setting the benchmark for aerial support assistance programs across the country as students take to the skies sporting night-vision technology when calls go out for help.
  
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• Fire torches Murray storage units

  20-03-2018 02:29
  MURRAY — Investigators late Monday were trying to find out what sparked a fire at a series of storage units in Murray. The blaze sent one person to a hospital.Flames and smoke damaged roughly half of the 24 units at AAA Murray Storage, said Mike Dykman, assistant Murray fire chief. A fire inspector spotted smoke as he was leaving the area about 4 p.m. and called police, Dykman said.The injured person was taken to Intermountain Medical Center. The victim's name, connection to the units and
  
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• Gas leak prompts evacuations at Centerville apartment complex

  20-03-2018 02:11
  
  The residents of two buildings at an apartment complex in Centerville were evacuated for several hours Monday afternoon after a gas leak was discovered in the area, officials said.
  
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• Huntsman Cancer Institute joins study aimed at improving leukemia screening, treatment

  20-03-2018 02:06
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Huntsman Cancer Institute will be one of just a handful of health organizations to oversee an extensive clinical study aimed at better determining which new treatments work best for acute myeloid leukemia patients on a case-by-case basis.The purpose of the study is to discover how to quickly choose an individualized treatment route for a patient with that cancer based on molecular testing of their genetic traits, said Dr. Michael Deininger, a co-investigator of the tri
  
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• Utah Jazz team up with nonprofit to provide dental care to underprivileged kids

  20-03-2018 01:53
  SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz teamed up with nonprofit TeamSmile to provide complimentary dental care to underprivileged children at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Monday.About 100 youths, from West High School as well as those in homeless shelters, attended the event."We do the full body of dental work," said John McCarthy, executive director of TeamSmile. "From screenings and cleanings and X-rays, and then (we) diagnose what needs to happen from there. And then when they go to a dentist, th
  
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• Washington state police seek help finding missing Utah woman

  20-03-2018 01:31
  
  Police are asking for help in finding a Utah woman who went missing in Washington state earlier this month.
  
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• Extortion accusations fly in ugly Utah GOP fight over controversial election law

  20-03-2018 01:21
  SALT LAKE CITY — A business executive who bailed the Utah Republican Party out of debt is accusing a GOP state senator of trying to extort him as part of plot to discredit his efforts to overturn a controversial election law.Dave Bateman, founder and CEO of Lehi-based Entrata, claims Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Wood Cross, offered a woman "a million dollars" to make a false sexual harassment claim against him.As evidence, Bateman played on Facebook a voicemail he obtained from a co-worker of a wom
  
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• Fire destroys clubhouse at Grantsville shooting range

  20-03-2018 01:02
  
  The State Fire Marshal’s Office is now looking into what caused a fire that destroyed a clubhouse and its contents at a shooting range in Grantsville.
  
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• Bystanders help save man from burning car in Riverton

  20-03-2018 00:54
  
  A man is in critical condition after bystanders pulled him from his burning car early Monday morning.
  
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• Police: Jogger sexually assaulted on trail near Sandy TRAX station

  20-03-2018 00:35
  
  Police are looking for a man in connection with a "brazen" sexual assault on a trail near a TRAX station and a popular park Monday afternoon.
  
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