Month: March 2019

It is often said that anything is possible if we put our mind to it but the reality is our minds are often overwhelmed with life. Uintah Basin Technical College is holding a unique workshop called “Experience Mind Optimization”. This 6-hour experience is about transforming our results by quieting the mental noise. Mario Lopez will share his proven training methods to facilitate change through hearing, seeing, writing and doing to enable individuals to solve internal conflict and connect and quiet outside distractions.  The event is on Thursday, March 28th, at the Vernal UBTech from 9am – 4pm. The workshop is $75 per person and includes a lunch. There is a Custom Fit price of $45, which is for companies of all sizes that would like to send employees. For Custom Fit prices or if you have any questions call, 435-725-7109.

Officials from the state of Utah and Bureau of Reclamation signed a contract last week which finalizes the Green River Water Rights Exchange agreement. According to a press release from the Bureau of Reclamation, the terms of the contract are that “the state agrees to forbear its right to deplete water from the Green River and its tributaries, enabling Reclamation to meet Endangered Species Act flow requirements. In exchange, the state of Utah will receive an equal amount of water released from Flaming Gorge Dam. The contract provides assistance in meeting flow and temperature requirements for the recovery of endangered fish, and allows Reclamation to continue operations in compliance with the 2006 Record of Decision.”  Negotiations on the contract were complete in 2018 and the Reclamation recently announced that a Finding of No Significant Impact was the result of the latest National Environmental Policy Act review. “This water exchange contract represents a successful and productive partnership between the State of Utah and the federal government, a partnership aimed at providing maximum value from available water resources,” shares Brent Rhees, the Bureau’s Upper Colorado Regional Director. The contract between the Bureau of Reclamation and the state of Utah is meant to help avoid the need for expensive new water storage facilities by using an already available water source.

Link to PDF:  https://www.usbr.gov/uc/envdocs/ea/20190100-GreenRiverBlockWaterExchangeContract-FinalEAandFONSI-508-PAO.pdf

Concerns about funding for BTA in Uintah County through 2019 can be put to rest. During their Thursday meeting, the board for the Uintah Transportation Special Service District unanimously approved to fund BTA for the remainder of 2019. What the funding plans are for after 2019 have yet to be determined. The board had already approved the full funding for the BTA in their 2019 budget but had decided to pay BTA on a month to month basis prompting concern from some community members, especially those who rely on the busing system.

The TriCounty Health Department released their 2018 annual report that highlights how the department has served the community. Public health services have a profound impact on our lives, often times with us not realizing it. Any person who safely got body art or used a tanning bed relies on the  health department to inspect such facilities. Many of the services we enjoy have been inspected by the health department, including 15 public drinking water systems, 31 schools, and 114 wastewater sites.

Imagine the unthinkable: your 2-year-old son is diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully, after months of aggressive treatment your precious child is making progress. There is a glimmer of hope the nightmare will soon be behind you. Now imagine this is when you learn that your son’s older brother has the same kind of tumor and cancer on the kidney and the battle is starting all over.

By now you’ve heard that Andeavor Logistics has made a generous $40,000 dollar donation towards the UBTech Health Simulation Education Center but why exactly is a simulation center so important and what will the upgrade include? Director of Nursing at UBTech Lindsey Ellingford explains that medical simulation labs are the ideal way to bridge the educational gap that can be evident as students go from the classroom to a clinical setting. 

Thousands of Basin citizens with severe bouts of cabin fever are expected to flock to the Western Park this weekend to kick off spring with a favorite annual event. The 26th annual Home & Garden Show & Outdoor Expo, presented by Evans Family Media, is the largest retail trade event in Northeastern Utah and it is taking place this Friday and Saturday.

The time has arrived! The ribbon cutting for the new UBTech Welding Technology Building is being held today. Although the project came together fairly quickly for a project of its size it was still quite an endeavor. As the acclaim of UBTech welding program continued to grow and the students brought back numerous awards, it was apparent to UBTech President Aaron Weight that a new building was necessary.