Month: April 2019

It is said “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. It is in that spirit that TriCounty Health Department is holding their Infant Immunization Week to help parents understand the whys and hows to properly immunize infants. This year marks the 25th anniversary for the Vaccines for Children program which provides vaccines for low or no costs for situations when insurances don’t cover vaccinations or they cannot be afforded.

A well known fundraising event, held in local venues throughout the world for the American Cancer Society, is approaching. What started as a surgeon, Dr. Gordon Klatt, walking around a track for 24 hours has turned into a society that is 2nd only to the government for funding cancer research. The Uintah Basin’s Relay for Life won’t be happening until June, but the community is being asked to make plans to help right now.

Local youth musicians have an amazing opportunity tonight as the opening act for a fantastic concert. Hosted by the Vernal Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Brigham Young University-Idaho Symphonic Band is playing a free concert for the entire community. Beyond the concert, some local families will also be hosting the band members in their homes.

The Uintah County Sheriff’s Office has received attention in recent months for becoming a partner with Utah Naloxone and providing naloxone kits to inmates of the Uintah County Jail upon release. While the public reaction has been mixed, more and more communities, organizations, and individuals are becoming equipped and trained to use Naloxone in the event of an opioid overdose and the effort is making a difference.

A Uintah Basin man continues to share his message of inspiration and hope with the world. As a double amputee who sets incredible goals and lives life to the fullest, Sidney Smith is the perfect person to talk to youth about overcoming their challenges and finding their purpose. 

Many aspects of Bye Bye Birdie strike me as charmingly antiquated. First off, the title role of Conrad Birdie (Mike Sorenson) is a send-up of Elvis Presley. Conrad’s manager and songwriter Albert Peterson (Justin Benson) is the stereotypical 1950’s boss, oblivious to the contributions of his secretary Rose Alvarez (Amy Lemon), who is also of course his girlfriend. When Conrad is drafted to the army and Albert is scrambling to make money off him to pay a debt, the solution involves flying Conrad to small-town America to kiss an adoring fan in a publicity stunt that will be aired on everyone’s favorite weekly variety show.

As members of the Vernal community we are quite aware of the many outdoor adventures that the area affords but many residents of Utah don’t know what they are missing, let alone the rest of the United States. Well now we have a chance to show the US what Vernal offers. US Today has included Vernal, Utah as one of the top 20 candidates for favorite small town for outdoor adventure.

To help keep the public in the know, there has been a change to animal control for Ballard City that started on Tuesday, April 2, 2019. Ballard previously contracted with Roosevelt City for all their animal control and shelter services. With the new changes, the city has adopted the Unified Animal Control Ordinance that Uintah County, Vernal City, and Naples City have been using.