Month: January 2020

The Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes is inviting the fifth graders of Utah, including the Uintah Basin, to take part in the National Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest. This nationwide contest is hosted by the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to help promote awareness among teachers, parents/guardians, and children and engage them in discussions about safety. Applicants need to be in the fifth grade with artwork that has the phrase “Bringing Our Missing Children Home”.

The epic and inspiring tale of five friends trekking across the Uinta Highline Trail in ten days is the focus of the film ‘Highline’ premiering in Vernal this month. The feature length documentary created by Outmersive Films weaves the personal stories of the five friends as they experience the 100 mile trail first hand. It also highlights the history of the area, including the Native American presence as well as tales of Spanish treasure and famous outlaws.

It was another year of growth at the Vernal Regional Airport and airport manager Doug Brown has the numbers to prove it. “As 2019 has come to a close, we have had another great year of growth and opportunities for our community members and those traveling to the Uintah Basin for work or play,” shares Brown. “We have set another milestone for commercial air service at the Vernal Regional Airport with initial numbers coming from Skywest and charters topping out at 13,561 enplanements and a total of 27,129 commercial passengers in 2019.”

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources reports that poaching was up in the state in 2019. According to a press release issued on Monday, 1,050 animals were illegally killed in 2019 for a combined value of wildlife of over $386,000 dollars. While the total animals poached were higher, the total value was actually lower than 2018 due to the monetary values assigned to the species killed each year. There were 526 citations issued for unlawful take and wanton destruction compared to 611 in 2018.

The Daggett County Commission is inviting public input as they work on their County Wildfire Preparedness Plan. The Commission shared in their January newsletter that they are working with the State of Utah Department of Natural Resources to create the plan. They shared the following: “If you have ideas for fire prevention, have already implemented fire prevention methods, know areas that could use help for fear of fires or if you are just interested in the process or helping, the Commission would like to see you there!” The public is invited to the meeting that will be held in the Daggett County Commission Chambers on January 14th at 2pm.

For those involved (or might want to be involved) with 4-H in Uintah County who agree with Charles De Gaulle when he said “The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs” here is the club for you. A State-Wide Dog Club has been started for all 4-H members who have a passion for our four-legged friends. The club will be based in Weber County but offers virtual content for those a distance away. Any youth that is of the age of 8 to 12 that want to participate need to be an active 4-H member and have the help of a responsible adult.

The Utah Department of Health has announced companies awarded medical cannabis pharmacy licenses and a company listed with a Vernal location is among them. According to their January 3rd announcement, the companies have been selected from more than 130 applications submitted through a competitive bidding process and have locations in Logan, Ogden, West Bountiful, Salt Lake City, Springville, Lindon, Provo, Park City, Cedar City, St. George, and one in Vernal to be called Pure UT.