It was a big weekend for the Uintah High School wrestling program. Uintah took a commanding lead at the Divisional Tournament with 15 wrestlers advancing to the semifinals and many others scheduled for consolation matches. When all was said and done, Uintah took first place with 471.5 points. That was over 142 points ahead of Canyon View that won second place with 329 points.
Search and Rescue teams stayed busy this weekend near Strawberry Reservoir with separate incidents of stranded individuals. The first report came in on Saturday and was reported at 8:30pm. A 61-year-old male and his 14-year-old son were snowmobiling in the Clyde Creek area when they became stuck in the snow and decided to hike to the road. With chest deep snow, the pair stopped to build a fire and call 9-1-1.
A regional SkillsUSA Competition recently took place at the Vernal Uintah Basin Tech campus. The Automotive, Welding, and Carpentry programs from both campuses competed to showcase the skills they developed as local industry served as judges and donated prizes. The competitions had welders competing individually in two divisions: beginning and advanced
It is American Heart Month andUintah Basin Healthcare wants to remind residents of the Basin to take good care of theirs. To help keep your heart healthy know your heart health numbers. What are those? Know your blood pressure number, know your cholesterol numbers and know your family heart health history. One in three adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure.
The deadline is looming but it’s not too late to spread some Valentine’s Day love to local seniors. The ‘Cards 4 Kids @ Heart’ project is organized each year by KLCY’s morning show host Amy Richards in loving memory of her Grandma. “The last thing I received from [my Grandma] was a handwritten card,” shares Amy. “I never had a chance to send her one back before she passed, and I know in my heart she would have loved one from me.”
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. This proved especially true for the Uintah Transportation Special Service District on Thursday when new Executive Director Cheryl Meier made a presentation to the Community Impact Board with a funding request. In December, the CIB heard a request from the Transportation District to fund the Ouray Bottom Road project that is aimed at repairing a 1.3 mile section of Seep Ridge Road that floods on a regular basis due to high water from the Green River. At that time, the CIB approved a 50/50 grant/2.5 percent interest loan for the project amount of approximately $4.5 million dollars. Fresh in her position last month and with the funding meeting scheduled for February 7th, Meier decided to make a request of the CIB to renegotiate the terms of the funding offer and she was invited to make a presentation at Thursday’s meeting. The result was well worth the effort as the original offer was withdrawn and the Ouray Bottom Road project was funded for the full $4.5 million dollars with 100 percent grant money. “I think showing the CIB that we have a director now made a difference,” shares Meier, who says she was able to present on the district’s finances and show that the district does not have money for new projects without draining savings. She also explained that this piece of road is a primary access to 2,864 operating oil and gas wells and is also an access into the Book Cliffs with an over 90 mile detour when this piece of road is inaccessible. Construction on the project is anticipated to begin this year.
The results are in and Irene Hansen has been selected by the Duchesne County Republican Party to fill the open Commission C seat. The selection committee met Thursday and the final vote was 52 percent for Irene Hansen and 46 percent Rod Harrison. The list of individuals that submitted letters of interest for the position included the following names: Rod Harrison, Kent Petross, Mark Murray, Kent Olsen, Patricia Barton, Todd Anfinson, Gordon Snow, Luke Stradinger, Jerry Nelson, Wayne Robb, Irene Hansen, Paul Spencer, and Mondi Taylor.
The snowstorm that hit Wednesday lead to 410 crashes by the afternoon across the state of Utah that Utah Highway Patrol responded to. Of those, 211 were as of midnight till Wednesday afternoon. From the UHP website is the following winter driving safety reminders. Be sure you are driving under the speed limit and increase your following distance. Try to avoid quick stops, starts and turns. If you happen to skid, ease off the gas and turn into the skid. Clear the snow and ice completely off your vehicle for visibility. Dress for the weather, wear your seatbelts, and remember that 4WD and AWD do not make you invincible.
Before you head out gathering shed antlers, the Division of Wildlife Resources reminds individuals to first complete the online course. To gather sheds anytime between February 1st and April 15th, a certificate of completion should be printed off and kept on your person. DNR reports, “The Antler Gathering Ethics course is in place to protect the animals during this critical time of year. The free course shouldn’t take more than a few minutes and will teach you how to responsibly gather shed antlers without stressing animals or damaging their habitat.” If you have young children and you’ve completed the course, then the certificate will cover the kids too. Gathering shed antlers is considered an activity the entire family can enjoy but it’s crucial that everyone remember that late winter and early spring is a tough time of year for deer, elk, and moose. “The animals often have a difficult time finding food. If you spook an animal and cause it to run, the animal has to use up fat reserves and energy it needs to survive through the winter,” DNR explains. To take the course, visitwww.wildlife.utah.gov/shedantler.
Our hearts go out to those in our community who are suffering because of the loss of an infant. It is unimaginable to understand and words fall short in expressing the sorrow. One great local resource is the Caring for Coy Support Group for parents, grandparents siblings and anyone else dealing with such a loss. They meet monthly and are there to “aid in your healing, bring hope to your future and honor your precious angel baby.” This month the group will be making memory jars (supplies provided) and will be discussing what the topics will be for 2019 meetings. The group wants to be able to be there for what you are going through so please be willing to share ideas of what can help. Meetings are the first Thursdays of the month. So Thursday, February 7 at 6pm come to the Uintah Basin Healthcare Clinic #2 on level 3. Please contact Maigen Zobell at maigen_zobell @ubh.org or call 435-725-2036 if you’d like to attend.