Utah news

• Push for land trades, federal designation in Wasatch canyons raising concerns

  05-04-2018 23:59
  SALT LAKE CITY — A hard-scrabble compromise involving land trades for ski resort expansions, new wilderness and a federal land designation for the Wasatch canyons remains on the table, but more questions than answers remain over its ultimate fate."The concerns we have heard is that we are putting the cart before the horse," according to Josh Satterfield, legislative assistant for Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, who has agreed to carry the legislative proposal first introduced in 2016 by then-Congre
  
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• Expect major changes to public transit schedules starting Sunday, UTA says

  05-04-2018 23:45
  
  Major changes to Utah Transit Authority schedules are expected Sunday as the agency adopts a new form of a federally-mandated electronic safety system, officials said.
  
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• Photos: Small fish in a big pond — Jordanelle stocked with 247,000 kokanee salmon

  05-04-2018 23:02
  Jason Tull and Austin Josie, with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, released 247,000 kokanee salmon into the Provo River above Jordanelle Reservoir on Thursday.DWR officials said stocking the reservoir with a quarter-million fish is another step toward turning Jordanelle into an amazing fishery.In addition to kokanee salmon, which biologists introduced to the reservoir a couple of years ago, two hybrid fish species — tiger muskie and wipers — now live in Jordanelle. The fish t
  
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• Man charged in alleged road rage incident in Parleys Canyon

  05-04-2018 22:46
  SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake man was charged Thursday with trying to run a Park City shuttle off the road in Parleys Canyon.Nicholas Hugo Zumaeta, 30, is charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; reckless endangerment, a class A misdemeanor; reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor, and four other misdemeanor crimes.On Dec. 16, Zumaeta sped up to another vehicle on I-80 entering Parleys Canyon, flashed his lights at the vehicle, and then pulled beside him
  
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• American Fork man faces 50 felony charges related to child pornography investigation

  05-04-2018 22:30
  
  An American Fork man faces 50 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after investigators found hundreds of pornographic images involving children on his computer, according to charging documents.
  
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• 3 Draper schools warn parents of whooping cough outbreak

  05-04-2018 22:06
  
  Twelve students have confirmed cases of whooping cough at three schools in Draper, officials said.
  
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• ‘The Sandlot’ 25 years later: How it impacted baseball and Utah movies

  05-04-2018 21:41
  
  “The Sandlot” — shot in Utah — may not have been a cinematic masterpiece, but it’s a movie baseball fans and Utahns have kept close to their hearts 25 years later.
  
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• Utah man dies after shirt catches on fire while barbecuing

  05-04-2018 21:19
  
  A Utah man has died after his shirt caught on fire during a family barbecue on Easter.
  
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• Roy residents can dump waste April 9-21 at public works facility

  05-04-2018 21:18
  ROY — Residents can get rid of excessive waste at the city's Public Works facility, 5460 S. 2700 West, during the weeks of April 9 and 16.Dumpsters will be available Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The facility will closed on Sundays.Residents must sign in at the office and produce proof of residency. No business or commercial contractors are allowed to dump waste.No toxic, hazardous or flammable materials, was well as tires, batteries, paints, co
  
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• Utah is about to become the first state with a free-range parenting law; what does it mean for you?

  05-04-2018 21:10
  MIDVALE — In May, Utah will become the first state to bestow statutory blessing on such activities as allowing kids to play outside, walk to schools and parks or engage in other activities independently, without fear of launching a child welfare investigation because a passerby disapproves.The so-called "free-range parenting" law, which takes effect May 8, will protect parents like Jessica Hall, who lets her four kids, ages 5 to 12, jump ditches and play in the park and enjoy the kind of c
  
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• Woman charged with covering up boyfriend's murders

  05-04-2018 21:06
  
  The girlfriend of accused double murderer Jerrod Baum was charged Thursday with attempting to cover up the crimes.
  
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• Ogden’s Historic Property Scavenger Hunt starts April 16

  05-04-2018 20:57
  OGDEN — Residents are invited to celebrate National Historic Preservation Month during the city's annual Historic Property Scavenger Hunt.Participants will be asked to find historic buildings in Ogden based on visual clues from a brochure that can be picked up at the second floor information desk at the Municipal Building, 2549 Washington Blvd., or download it at ogdencity.com/Landmarks. The brochures will be available Monday, April 16.Those that locate buildings will be eligible to win gi
  
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• Ogden courthouse evacuations end after unsubstantiated bomb threat

  05-04-2018 20:33
  
  The source of the threat is still unknown. Detectives are tracking leads on the caller.
  
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• Ogden Climbing Festival set for April 13, 14

  05-04-2018 20:26
  OGDEN — Weber State University's Outdoor Program will host the 11th annual Petzl Ogden Climbing Festival on Friday, April 13, and Saturday, April 14, with events at various times and locations throughout the city.The festival will include clinics, equipment demonstrations and a keynote presentation from professional rock climber and adventurer Emily Harrington, who will speak Friday at 7:15 p.m. in Ogden Union Station, 2501 Wall Ave. The presentation will include food, beverages, music and
  
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• Former Utah pitcher now with Dodgers' organization grateful for Mormon mission to Japan

  05-04-2018 20:24
  Days before starting his second season in the minor leagues, a reporter asked Great Lakes Loons' pitcher Riley Ottesen about his Mormon mission to Japan.Not only did it allow him to rest his arm for two years, but he grew personally as well, according to mlive.com."It's made me a better person, more mature," Otteson told mlive.com. "It helped me a lot. You can't go to a country you've never been to, live with a companion you don't know, learn to speak a language you don't know and talk about som
  
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• Gunman arrested after Cedar City crime spree, police say

  05-04-2018 20:17
  SALT LAKE CITY — A wild series of events in Cedar City Wednesday night started with shots fired inside a high school and ended in the arrest of a Wyoming man.Talon Sessions, 28, of Thayne, Wyoming, was booked into the Iron County Jail for investigation of nearly a dozen charges, including aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and illegally discharging a firearm.The investigation began about 9:15 p.m. when someone near Cedar City High School heard what sounded like "someone inside the sch
  
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• Walmart's new funeral potatoes are trending, and the internet is confused

  05-04-2018 19:53
  Sorry, Utah, but the internet just doesn't understand funeral potatoes.The traditional Utah and Mormon side dish made headlines Wednesday after people noticed Walmart ads selling the product nationwide.Walmart's ads show off funeral potatoes made by Augason Farms, which is based in Salt Lake City and bills itself as a leader in emergency food storage and survival gear, according to Today.com.Social media immediately responded with questions about the Utah staple.That moment when you're bee-boppi
  
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• West Jordan residents can meet with mayor on Thursdays

  05-04-2018 19:46
  WEST JORDAN — Residents who have issues, questions or concerns are invited to meet with Mayor Jim Riding on Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in his office on the third floor of City Hall, 8000 S. Redwood Road.For those who are unable to visit during this time, appointments can be made by contacting the city's main administration office at 801-569-5100.Occasionally Riding will have commitments that require him to be away from the office on Thursdays. On these days, a City Council member or s
  
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• Utah protests plan to pipe Green River water to Colorado

  05-04-2018 19:43
  SALT LAKE CITY — The state of Utah is among multiple critics to the so-called Million pipeline project that proposes to divert Green River water to the Front Range of Colorado.The Utah Division of Resources indicated in an official protest filed this week it has concerns over negative impacts to Green River water users, the ability to meet target flows for endangered fish recovery and questions over whether Colorado itself supports the project.Multiple protests are on record with the Utah
  
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• Salt Lake County to hold hearing on 2018-19 projects funded with federal dollars

  05-04-2018 19:37
  SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County mayors will hold a public hearing to take comments on proposed 2018-19 projects to be funded with federal dollars.The meeting will take place on April 16 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Salt Lake County Council chamber, 2001 S. State, first floor, North Building, Room N1-100.During the meeting, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and the mayors of Alta, Bluffdale, Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Herriman, Holladay, Midvale, Millcreek, Murray, Riverton and South Sa
  
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• Gang member arrested in drive-by shooting

  05-04-2018 18:40
  SALT LAKE CITY — An 18-year-old gang member has been arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting in Salt Lake City earlier this week.Cresencio Perez, of Salt Lake City, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of two counts of aggravated assault and nine counts of felony discharge of a firearm. It's the second time in two months Perez has been arrested in connection with a violent incident in Salt Lake County.According to police, Perez was allegedly in a vehicle with
  
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• 1 lane reopened on northbound I-15 near Payson after crash

  05-04-2018 18:09
  
  One lane has reopened on northbound I-15 near Payson after a semitruck crash closed the freeway for several hours Thursday morning, police said.
  
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• New sexual assault allegations come to light as Utah State music department investigation wraps up

  05-04-2018 17:32
  SALT LAKE CITY — After a nearly seven-week investigation into Utah State University's handling of allegations of sexual misconduct within the music department, independent investigators are preparing to release a report of their findings and recommendations on Friday morning, according to Tim Vitale, a spokesman for the university.The Deseret News talked to 25 former and current Utah State music students, several of whom have reported their experiences to the investigators in recent weeks.
  
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• Woman critical after being hit by car in Magna

  05-04-2018 17:20
  MAGNA — A 47-year-old woman was in critical condition after being hit by a car while crossing a street early Thursday morning.About 6:45 a.m., a 36-year-old man was driving north on 8400 West when he hit a woman walking in the middle lane near 3500 South, said Unified Police Lt. Brian Lohrke. The driver told police he did not see the woman until the very last minute and by that point couldn't avoid hitting her.The impact sent the woman on top of the man's hood. She was taken to a local hos
  
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• UTA is a great transit name, why change it?

  05-04-2018 17:00
  When the founders of Google first developed a search engine in 1996, they named it "backrub."The idea was that the program looked at "back links" to understand and rate a website's importance, according to Businessinsider.com.A year later, they rebranded as Google. It was supposed to be Googol, after the large number that includes a 1 followed by 100 zeroes, but one of the founders misspelled it, and the misspelling stuck.Corporate and cultural history hangs on such seemingly trivial things, but
  
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• Jay Evensen: UTA is a great transit name, why change it?

  05-04-2018 17:00
  When the founders of Google first developed a search engine in 1996, they named it "backrub."The idea was that the program looked at "back links" to understand and rate a website's importance, according to Businessinsider.com.A year later, they rebranded as Google. It was supposed to be Googol, after the large number that includes a 1 followed by 100 zeroes, but one of the founders misspelled it, and the misspelling stuck.Corporate and cultural history hangs on such seemingly trivial things, but
  
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• ‘Whopper’ of surprise stuns BK worker as officer replaces stolen bike

  05-04-2018 15:20
  
  A Burger King worker never thought the problem of his stolen bike could be solved over lunch, but he received a "whopper" of a surprise Wednesday.
  
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• $10K reward for information on missing American Fork woman

  05-04-2018 15:03
  
  New video shows who police believe is Jerika Binks, a woman who vanished February 18, while out for a run.
  
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• An inside look at Utah's new free-range parenting law that 'lets kids be kids'

  05-04-2018 13:00
  MIDVALE — In May, Utah will become the first state to bestow statutory blessing on such activities as allowing kids to play outside, walk to schools and parks or engage in other activities independently, without fear of launching a child welfare investigation because a passerby disapproves.The so-called "free-range parenting" law, which takes effect May 8, will protect parents like Jessica Hall, who lets her four kids, ages 5 to 12, jump ditches and play in the park and enjoy the kind of c
  
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• New allegations of sexual assault come to light as USU music department investigation wraps up

  05-04-2018 07:29
  SALT LAKE CITY — After a nearly seven-week investigation into Utah State University's handling of allegations of sexual misconduct within the music department, independent investigators are preparing to release a report of their findings and recommendations on Friday morning, according to Tim Vitale, a spokesman for the university.The Deseret News talked to 25 former and current Utah State music students, several of whom have reported their experiences to the investigators in recent weeks.
  
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• Woman files suit against LDS Church and former MTC president

  05-04-2018 07:27
  
  The woman who said the president of the LDS Church's Missionary Training Center raped her while she was a missionary there in 1984 filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday night.
  
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• US senator visits Venezuela amid talks over jailed Utah man

  05-04-2018 06:24
  
  A powerful U.S. senator traveled to Venezuela on Wednesday as pressure mounted on President Nicolas Maduro to hand over a Utah man jailed in the turbulent South American country for nearly two years.
  
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• More refugees from Myanmar calling Utah home

  05-04-2018 06:01
  SALT LAKE CITY — Some of Salt Lake County's newest residents are small business owners, school employees and junior high students.And they're 12,000 miles from home.Fleeing violence that the United Nations has dubbed ethnic cleansing, roughly 200 refugees and unaccompanied minors from the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar have moved to Salt Lake County.The newcomers got a warm reception at the Granite School District offices in Salt Lake City on Wednesday during an information session aime
  
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• Arizona officer who lives in Utah offers final goodbyes after 37-year career in viral video

  05-04-2018 06:00
  An Arizona state trooper made his final radio call on Monday, putting an end to a 37-year career, in a video that has been widely shared on social media and by national news outlets.The retiring officer, Mark Gilberg, was the longest-serving trooper in the Arizona Department of Public Safety.Watch the video of Gilberg's goodbye in the video below, shared by CNN and reported on by The Washington Post.The YouTube version of the video has nearly 100,000 views.According to The Arizona Republic, Gilb
  
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• More than 300 child porn images found on Sandy man's computer, charges say

  05-04-2018 04:25
  
  A Sandy man was charged with 10 second-degree felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in 3rd District Court Wednesday after officers found more than 300 child pornography files on his computer Monday, according to charging documents.
  
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• Utah, Salt Lake counties weighing whether to breathe new life into failed transportation tax hike

  05-04-2018 04:12
  SALT LAKE CITY — More than two years ago, voters in Utah's two most populous counties rejected Proposition 1, the sales tax hike that would have brought in tens of millions for transportation projects.But now, county leaders can bring it back from the dead.That's thanks to one of the many provisions included in the sweeping transportation bill passed by the Utah Legislature this year, which includes restructuring and renaming the Utah Transit Authority, among other changes.The new law give
  
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• Nanny charged with sexually abusing boy in her care for 10 years

  05-04-2018 03:20
  SALT LAKE CITY — A family nanny molested a young boy under her care for 10 years under the guise of telling the victim that she was teaching him how to be a good husband, according to charging documents.Alavina Fulgiahea Florreich, 68, of Glendale, Arizona, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with five counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child, a first-degree felony, and two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.From about 1999 until 2009, the victim, now 26, clai
  
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• Primary Children's celebrates its most ever liver transplants getting kids 'back to normal lives'

  05-04-2018 03:00
  SALT LAKE CITY — It would be hard to tell now, but there was a time not very long ago when toddler Brycen McKen's liver was failing and he was "hovering between this life and the next," his mother says.In December 2016, the young boy, then only about 8 months old, was called into surgery at Primary Children's Hospital after a liver became available for transplant."The surgeon came out halfway through the surgery and explained the (liver) infection that was there and that it was about the s
  
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• Highway fatalities down 40 percent from 2017, UHP says

  05-04-2018 03:00
  
  Highway traffic deaths from the first quarter of the year are down 40 percent from 2017, according to statistics released by Utah Highway Patrol Tuesday.
  
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• Crunch time for candidates, initiatives seeking ballot spots

  05-04-2018 02:22
  SALT LAKE CITY — Deadlines for candidates and initiative petitions looking to score a place on the primary and general election ballots are coming up fast, and some might still have a lot of work to do.Among the 11 candidates for federal office who signed up to collect signatures to guarantee they'll be in the June primary, the state elections website shows only U.S. Senate hopeful Mitt Romney with any certified signatures to date.Romney has turned in more than 43,000 signatures — co
  
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• IBM partners with Utah group working to build super-secure identity network

  05-04-2018 02:00
  SALT LAKE CITY — One of the largest and most valuable corporations in the world, IBM, announced Wednesday it's going all-in with the Utah-based Sovrin Foundation, a private sector nonprofit working to create a decentralized digital identity network.IBM will join the foundation as a founding steward, working with other stewards to "create, operate and maintain" the network.While Sovrin's mission statement may sound like so much tech gobbledygook to the non-fluent, the work is aimed at creat
  
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• Sandy police chief on leave; internal investigation underway

  05-04-2018 01:40
  SANDY — Sandy Police Chief Kevin Thacker is on paid leave for unspecified reasons while an internal investigation is conducted.Sandy police spokesman Jason Nielsen declined to give any details on the probe. He said Thacker has been on leave since Monday and noted the police department "takes takes all personnel matters seriously."Nielsen said there is no timeline on the internal investigation and would not say who was leading the inquiry. He said Thacker has been the chief for four years a
  
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• Sandy police chief on leave; city investigation underway

  05-04-2018 01:40
  SANDY — Sandy Police Chief Kevin Thacker is on paid leave for unspecified reasons while a city investigation is conducted, the department announced Wednesday.Sandy police spokesman Jason Nielsen said an arm of Sandy government outside of the police department is leading the investigation. He declined to provide further details about the probe.Nielsen said Thacker has been on leave since Monday and noted the police department "takes all personnel matters seriously."Nielsen said there is no
  
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• City looking for shops, restaurants that want to land at redesigned S.L. airport

  05-04-2018 01:37
  SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City will soon ask for proposals from businesses hoping to grab a spot within the redesigned airport."This is a really great opportunity for any retail shops and restaurants to throw their hat in the ring, so to speak, and to operate at the airport," said Nancy Volmer, public relations and marketing director for Salt Lake City Department of Airports.The city will accept proposals for retail, news and gift shops beginning this month and for food and beverage busin
  
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• Girl thought safe schools app was 'stupid,' sent fake reports, police say

  05-04-2018 01:23
  AMERICAN FORK — Police say a 16-year-old girl who thought an app created to help protect Utah students was "stupid" attempted to shut it down by submitting numerous false reports.On March 15, police were called to American Fork High School by school administrators because they had been receiving "multiple tips from the same person" on the SafeUT app, which is designed to allow students anonymously report concerns or threats, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in 4th District Cou
  
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• Utah's suit over mine spill transferred to New Mexico court

  05-04-2018 01:19
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A panel of federal judges says Utah's lawsuit over a mine waste spill will be transferred from a Salt Lake City court to one in New Mexico, where three similar suits were filed.The ruling Wednesday by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation means the suits filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and others will be heard in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico.The lawsuits seek unspecified damages from the EPA, government contractors and a
  
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• 3.5 quake rattles southwest Utah; no damage, injuries

  05-04-2018 01:16
  ST. GEORGE — A moderate earthquake in southwest Utah rattled part of Wayne County, but no damage or injuries were reported.The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 3.5 temblor struck at 2:26 p.m. Tuesday about 30 miles south of Interstate 70 near Loa on the west edge of Capitol Reef National Park.It's the largest in a swarm of more than 40 minor earthquakes reported in the area over the last two weeks.Many of those were so small they could only be detected by monitoring equipment.The
  
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• US senator visits Venezuela amid talks over jailed Utahn Joshua Holt

  05-04-2018 00:45
  CARACAS, Venezuela — A powerful U.S. senator traveled to Venezuela on Wednesday as pressure mounted on President Nicolas Maduro to hand over a Utah man jailed in the turbulent South American country for nearly two years.Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois was to meet with members of the government and opposition, a spokesman for his office said. He didn't provide further details.The Senate's No. 2 Democrat is also expected to meet with Maduro to discuss the imprisonment of Joshua Holt, a Riverton
  
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