Month: August 2018

Red Leaf Resources, Inc. announced on Wednesday a partnership they say will be a major benefit to their Uintah County oil shale project. The ‘strategic technical alliance’ is with Hatch, a global leader in engineering and technology development. According to the Red Leaf news release, Hatch has been involved in the overall technology development of the Red Leaf oil shale projects, including the development of the EcoShale technology.

Thankfully no one was seriously hurt on Tuesday when a vehicle crashed into a Uintah County residence. According to the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office, a 23-year-old Vernal man drove his truck into a house in Uintah County on Tuesday afternoon and the house sustained serious damage.

With hunting season here, forest officials are sharing campfire safety reminders. The Forest Service is reminding hunters and campers of important practices. Clear any fire site down to the bare soil. Be sure there is containment of the fire using a fire ring of rocks or stones or better yet utilize an existing metal fire ring. Build fires away from trees, branches, steep slopes, dry grass, or leaves.

A human case of West Nile Virus has been reported in the TriCounty Health District. The Utah Department of Health reported this week that there have been 28 new positive mosquito pools in Utah bringing the total to 108 so far this year. Two new human cases were reported this week, one from the Bear River District and one from the TriCounty Health District.

A cougar has created quite a stir in Uintah County after multiple sightings near homes. The sightings have been shared around social media this week with many asking if wildlife officials have been notified. DWR Conservation Outreach Manager Tonya Kieffer-Selby confirms that the Division of Wildlife Resources is aware of the issue and is monitoring the situation for further developments.

The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Narcotics and Arrest Group has stayed busy on an operation that resulted in dozens of drug arrests. “Earlier this year,” shares Sheriff Mike Lowell, “the SNAAG unit came to me with a proposal for a provisional drug task force operation – one that would employ a coordinated strategy among all the law enforcement agencies in Sweetwater County for a set period of time.” The campaign has been known as ‘Operation Smack’ and resulted in 33 drug arrests. Most of the cases involved Methamphetamine, though possession and trafficking of other drugs was also included. Agencies that assisted on the arrests include Rock Springs Police Department, Green River Police Department, the Division of Criminal Investigation, and Wyoming Highway Patrol.

Law enforcement officers can only do so much when it comes to protecting citizens from thieves. The majority of what can be done comes down to the citizens themselves. While taking precautions is always recommended, Vernal Police Department is once again making it clear why.