Month: November 2019

The Uintah School District announced Thursday that they are seeking approval from the Uintah School Board to take money from the district’s general fund balance to cover some of the critical needs that would have been covered by Proposition 4 if it had passed. The request will be made by District Business Administrator Scott Ruppe during the November 13th school board business meeting. The District explains that: “If the school board approves Ruppe's request, he will draft a revised budget for the current fiscal year.

The Vernal man killed in a head on collision near Myton on Wednesday morning has been identified. 43-year-old Joshua D. Mordecai was traveling westbound on Highway 40 at Mile Marker 100 when the unthinkable happened. His car suddenly swerved in front of a semi tractor-trailer and a head-on collision was the result, according to Utah Highway Patrol. Since the devastating news, the community has rallied around the Mordecai family by making donations on a GoFundMe page called “Tribute to Josh Mordecai Loving Husband and Father.”

The cool weather during this season really impacts the ability of students to enjoy a good field trip. Dinosaur National Monument is offering a very unique solution. The monument is offering an in class virtual tour. This is one of the most famous dinosaur quarry sites in the world with fossils from the quarry on display throughout numerous museum. The tour park rangers will help students learn about fossils, dinosaurs, geology, geologic time, earth history, and adaptation.

The Vernal Chamber recently recognized the work of the Trails Committee as prioritized projects are moving forward from the Trails Master Plan in Uintah County. Individuals have been working to improve the trails since 2010 (and even earlier) with the first known trails committee made of representatives from various trail user groups. In 2015, the official DinoTrails committee was formed. The committee worked with Uintah Transportation Special Service District on funding and the Uintah County Trails Master Plan was completed by Sunrise Engineering and CIVCO Engineering.

Last year the Quarry Steakhouse restaurant held their first “Fill the Need” community dinner. It was a free dinner for those that wanted a warm Thanksgiving meal and some friends to enjoy the holiday. Kathleen Huber Hacking feels that no one should spend Thanksgiving alone and they will be holding the 2nd annual “Fill the Need” dinner this year. Anyone who would like to help with this wonderful tradition through monetary donations can do so through Venmo to Kathleen @Kathleen-Hacking and put “Fill the Need” in the description. Every dollar helps to cover the cost of food.

A truly delicious holiday tradition has arrived. This Saturday is the 15th year for the Oh Fudge! candy and treat making demonstrations at the Uintah County Library and event organizer Mauri Ruppe is doing her best to make this an excellent and delicious experience for all. In her first year, Ruppe says there were nearly 200 people and it was too crowded and noisy for some attendees so she decided from then on to hold two sessions: one for families and one for adults only.

Owning a dog can be like having a new family member but a dog’s behavior can greatly influence our attitude about canines. Luckily the Basin has some new community members that can help. Lynne Gifford Bell and Travis Bell are the owners of Blazing Trails K9 Academy, a dog training service out of Duchesne, Utah, and they come with a long list of qualifications. Lynne got her start at nine years old when she sought out a talented professional trainer because she had an aggressive doberman.

Uintah School District Superintendent Mark Dockins announced his resignation on Thursday morning as he has accepted a position as Vice President of Development at UBTECH starting in January 2020. In a letter to district employees Dockins states, “I am terribly sad to leave Uintah School District because you have become my family. I’m scared to start a new adventure after spending my entire adult life in K-12 education. However, I’m also extremely excited about this new adventure in higher education.