Just days after announcing his run for Utah Governor 2020, Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox will be visiting the Uintah Basin. Cox announced his run for Governor on Tuesday morning. He began his public service as a city councilman in 2004 and has since served in Utah as a Mayor, County Commissioner, State Representative and now as Lieutenant Governor since 2013.
Ashley National Forest is keeping the public informed, announcing that nearly all Flaming Gorge campgrounds are now open, with the exception of Spirit Lake and Lodgepole Campgrounds. Deep Creek Road is now open but the campground isn’t.
There were many students and organizations to recognize at the start of the Uintah School Board meeting held last Wednesday, May 8th. The Uintah FFA Floriculture Team was recognized for their first-place finish at state competition. The team is now preparing for the 2019 National FFA Convention coming up in October.
Time to take advantage of the spring burn window before it is over on May 30th. In Uintah County, burning instructions include the following: refuse cleared away from buildings and structures, burn away from power and utility lines, have a water supply available, tend the fire at all times, fires must be out by dusk, no piles larger than 4 foot by 5 foot or greater than 3 feet high, and burn during light or NO wind conditions.
It is always important to watch for motorcycles on Utah’s roads and with a new law in effect as of today it is especially important. Utah Legislature passed a bill this year that allows lane filtering by motorcycles. For those that are unfamiliar, lane filtering is when a motorcyclist travels between lanes of stopped traffic, moving to the front of the line. In the rural Uintah Basin, this mostly means that lane filtering can occur while traffic is stopped at lights on Highway 40 in Vernal, Roosevelt, and Duchesne.
All residents of Roosevelt need to be aware that over the next few days the Roosevelt Fire Department will be testing the fire hydrants. As a result of the testing sediment might start showing up in culinary water. In order to test the hydrants, water is run through the system at very high pressure. The pressure stirs up small sediment that then makes it to your water. Please note that sediment does not indicate contamination.
186 miles. That is how many miles Kristina “Fireball” Myint and Courtney James Kruse are running as part of the MS Run the US, Incorporated ultra relay. It is a run dedicated to raising awareness and support of multiple sclerosis (MS) research. The funds will also aid those that are living with disabilities caused by MS.
A Vernal man was arrested for homicide following a fatal boating accident on Flaming Gorge over the weekend. 25-year-old Corey Dale Eggleston was arrested on May 11th for DUI and Automobile Homicide – Causing Death With Alcohol Content Greater than .05. According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause filed in 8th District Court, a Daggett County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a possible drowning on Flaming Gorge Reservoir at approximately 1:30pm.
Though there is still a ways to go, supporters of rail in the Uintah Basin are feeling encouraged. In a press release issued Friday, the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition announced that they have selected private partner, Drexel Hamilton Infrastructure Partners, to finance and build the Uinta Basin Railway. The rail project aims to connect the Uinta Basin with the national rail network as a cost-effective solution for adding transportation infrastructure in the Basin. “Drexel Hamilton brings a wealth of industry experience and valuable resources and we are excited to partner with them to advance the Uinta Basin Railway,” shares Mike McKee, executive director of the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition.
The excitement for Dinah SOAR Days has been building for two years. Last year hit a bit of a bump as the weather made it so that none of the balloons were launched. Though the weather affected one launch day this year, the other two launches were a resounding success. It is estimated by Uintah County Travel and Tourism that each launch had close to a thousand people in attendance with Friday’s Night Glow having somewhere close to 3,000 people.