How many bluegill do you think are still in Steinaker Reservoir? Guess higher. Although water levels have dropped dramatically as the reservoir dam is being repaired, the deepest channels are at fifteen feet and the bluegills are thriving. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources recently tagged 100 bluegill and only had 3 report back. It might not sound like much but it helps the DWR to know that there are anywhere between 37,000 to 39,000 bluegill still in Steinaker.
Craig Police Department is asking the public to keep an eye out for a wanted individual and to contact them if he is seen. 47-year-old Todd Smith is wanted for Contempt related to dangerous drug charges. Smith is a 5 foot 10 inch white male with brown hair and brown eyes weighing approximately 135 pounds.
Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. Three men are in Uintah County Jail on a long list of charges including kidnapping and it was all over a missing “sentimental bandana”. According to the Probable Cause Statement, the incident occurred on January 5th when Cody Joseph Alvarez, Kevin Walker, and Dylon Smuin told a group of six people that “no one was leaving the premises until after a bandana belonging to [Alvarez] was located.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has asked residents of the state of Utah to come forward with any information concerning an unknown bank robber that has been dubbed the Holiday Bandit. He is described as a male, 5’4” to 5’8” in height and white or hispanic.
There were no injuries in a robbery in Vernal City early in the morning on Wednesday. According to Vernal Police, the robbery took place around 4:30am at the 7-11 convenience store on Highway 40 next to McDonalds on January 9th. “The suspect fled the scene within the 2 or 3 minute timeframe it took for officers to arrive,” shares Vernal Police.
The Marshal’s Office in Dinosaur, Colorado has reached out to its Utah neighbors as they are seeking leads on a business break in. At approximately 11:00pm on Sunday, January 6th, a male and female broke into the Rocky Mountain Cannabis Marijuana Dispensary.
School administration acted quickly on Thursday morning at Ashley Elementary in Vernal when an Carbon Monoxide alarm went off. The school was evacuated with students and staff walking to nearby Uintah Middle School and the Vernal City-Uintah County Fire Department responded. Parents and guardians were notified of the situation through the District’s call system and were updated within half an hour that firefighters had given the all-clear for students and faculty to return to the school.
The temperature is dropping and the ice is thickening. It’s the perfect condition for ice fishing. If you’re looking to ice fish on Flaming Gorge, especially with the upcoming Burbot Bash, then this advanced ice fishing seminar being put on by the Division of Wildlife Resources and Sportsman’s Warehouse needs to be on your calendar. The seminar will help first timers and seasoned pros by providing experts on Flaming Gorge Reservoir. They will briefly highlight proper equipment and general safety tips then have an in-depth discussion on popular ice fishing tips, tricks, and techniques. Some of the experts include Ryan Kelly, the director of the Flaming Gorge Chamber of Commerce and Ryan Mosley, the DWR’s lead fisheries biologist at Flaming Gorge as well as other DWR biologists. The seminar will be at the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Vernal on Friday January 11 and will go from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. For more information, call Valarie at 435-828-0008.
Although Easter is a few months away the Basin Interfaith Council is getting ready for a special Easter production. It will be called “The Lamb of God” and is written by Rob Gardner. The production is looking for musicians to add their talents to what is sure to be a blessing to the Basin. It is hoped to put together a choir of 100+ members and a professional live orchestra. Choir practice will be weekly on Sundays, starting on January 13th, from 4pm-5pm at the Roosevelt LDS Stake center (477 East Lagoon Street) until the performance. The full production will be on Sunday March 31st at 6pm at the Roosevelt Stake Center. Those interested in helping the orchestra, contact Emily Graham 435-724-5339. To help the choir contact Diana Eddington 435-724-2505.
Lace up those shoes and get ready for the races. The snowshoe races! The Dinosaur 100 Trail Race Series holds snowshoeing races that run January and February at locations in Moffat and Routt Counties. The recent weather has provided just the right snowy conditions to enjoy snowshoeing trails throughout Northwest Colorado. There are four races all on Saturdays starting at 10am. The first race is January 19 at Loudy-Simpson Park. The second race is January 26 at Rabbit Ears Pass, Fox Curve. The third race is February 2 at Stagecoach State Park. The final race is on February 9 at Steamboat Lake. For those with the energy there is a 5k and those wanting a little less fresh air a 3k. It is $25 dollars for each race until the day of and then it will cost $40 dollars to register. “The races are designed to be family-friendly and more recreationally-oriented,” says organizer Mike Mathisen. “These are to be fun races and encourage people to snowshoe and get out in the mountains and parks.”