After a several months-long operation, the Uintah Basin Narcotic Strike Force made multiple drug distribution arrests last week in the Vernal area. “Those arrested were Donna McLean, Lewis Rivas, Lyle Shane Karren, Shaun McMickell, William Beseler, Nicole Thullen, Harley Harlan, Bryan Black, and Melissa Price. In addition, Casey Neves was booked into jail on multiple arrest warrants, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia,” shares the Vernal PD Media Release.
The Uintah County Sheriff’s Office would remind the Uintah Basin residents that while all this rain has created some wonderful green scenery it can lead to very dangerous wildfires when it dries out. To help prepare, they have shared some tips from the National Fire Protection Association on being ready for wildfires. The first step is to create a basic defensible space by clearing dead vegetation and other items within 10 feet of the house and under decks and porches.
Volunteers have been a huge part of healthcare in the Basin for years. In fact, Uintah Basin Healthcare was started by community volunteers back in 1944 and they continue to play an important role.
Even though we are still in the spring season, the Uintah County Library is prepping for the summer reading program and everyone is invited to pre-register. The theme this year is ‘A Universe of Stories’ and officially runs from June 1st to August 3rd. There are several ways to track your reading. You can use the reading log at the Beanstack website or download the Beanstack app. Go to the Uintah County Library website and click on the summer program link to download log pages.
TriCounty Health Department wants to know what lakes you most frequent in northeastern Utah as they work with the Utah Division of Water Quality to ensure surface water bodies remain safe for recreational use. “Every summer we monitor the bacteria levels in popular lakes in our area,” explains TriCounty Health. “This year we want the public’s help in identifying which lakes are most used for water recreation sports including: swimming, waterskiing, [and] wakeboarding…activities where your head and face are likely to get wet.”
Fire crews in Uintah County quickly put out a fire that started Tuesday in the afternoon. According to Uintah County Fire Marshal Jeremy Raymond, crews from Vernal, Lapoint, and Jensen were all paged to a disposal pit fire on Highway 40 mile marker 128 at about 1:15pm. The fire started from welding that was taking place near the disposal pit, explains Raymond.
The House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Republican and northeastern Utah Representative Rob Bishop released a statement following the passage of H.R. 1222 which amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act. “H.R. 1222 provides states with greater flexibility to create safe, quality shooting facilities on public lands,” shares Representative Bishop.
For individuals and organizations that are interested, Duchesne County is accepting proposals for a Community Wildfire Preparedness Plan. The “plan will address items such as wildfire history, wildland urban interface, communities at risk, risk assessments, priorities and recommendations, and implementation strategies. Your firm will work with a stakeholder group to identify goals and create an overall strategic plan.
For those younger swimmers that are looking to develop their swimming skills to the next level, the Roosevelt Tiger Muskies swim club is having tryouts for the 2019 summer season. Tryouts will be May 7th, 8th and 9th at the Roosevelt Aquatic Center from 4pm-5:30pm.