Month: June 2019

There are many misnomers concerning lightning safety and the US National Weather Service wants to clear them up. The motto is ‘When the Thunder Roars, Go Indoors.’ The only truly safe location is inside a safe building or metal-roof vehicle.

Representative Rob Bishop offered a statement this week on America’s current confrontations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. After attending a classified briefing of the activity in the Middle East region, Representative Bishop went on the record stating:

The Division of Wildlife Resources is great at sharing interesting information and dispelling myths. This week they are doing both by sharing a list of five wildlife species most do not realize live in Utah and one of which is largely found in northeastern Utah. Here’s where the dispelling of myths comes in.

Fire officials presented at the Vernal Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Tuesday, encouraging attendees to create defensible space around property to reduce fire danger if and when it may strike. Uintah County Fire Marshal Jeremy Raymond and Fire Warden Cory Auger explained that not only is defensible space important to save lives and reduce loss of property, but it is also to be in compliance with the 2006 Utah Wildland-Urban Interface Code.

Thanks to a grant from the National Security Agency and National Science Foundation, local middle school girls were able to enjoy a unique camp that was the only one offered in the state of Utah. “We chose to do an all girls camp to help inspire girls to go into STEM fields, particularly in cybersecurity, where the field is 97 percent male,” shares Uintah High School teacher Cynthia White, adviser for the Girls Who Code Club.

The BIA Forestry & Wildland Fire-Uintah & Ouray Agency provided an update on the ‘North 40 Fire’ that started at 5:45pm on Wednesday north of Highway 40 near Fort Duchesne/Bottle Hollow. “In all, 8.5 acres were consumed on Ute Indian Tribe and Private Lands,” shares their update.

Uintah County Fair is underway at Vernal’s Western Park with days of fun in store for all ages and interests. Western Park General Manager Derk Hatch says this year has the mother of all carnivals and is the biggest this fair has had in his 31 years of involvement.

It’s been one year since the Vernal Regional Airport switched to service with SkyWest under the United brand and it’s been onward and upward in that short time. The Airport announced on Wednesday that in those 12 months, over 23,500 passengers have flown in and out of Vernal, reaching new levels for air travel for the Uinta Basin.

An exciting event each year, the Northern Ute 4th of July Pow Wow Celebration kicks off today in Fort Duchesne. Tonight is warm up night for the Pow Wow with competition each day that follows and major cash prizes in the drum and dance contests. The Pow Wow Celebration Parade will be held Saturday at 10am. There will be the Northern Ute Yellow Elk Memorial Handgame Tournaments in honor of the Sireech family.

A Duchesne County man was arrested and taken to the Duchesne County Jail on Tuesday after allegedly entering a home in the Upalco area of Duchesne County and assaulting the woman within. According to court documents, 40-year-old Wesley David Rigby allegedly entered a home uninvited and started yelling at the victim followed by grabbing, shoving, and holding her down.