The Uintah Fire Special Service District remains intact following the City/County meeting held at the Uintah Conference Center on Monday afternoon. The meeting allowed time for the Directors of the Special Service Districts as well as Ballard, Naples, and Vernal City to offer their own ideas and input on how to manage the steep decline in mineral lease monies that fund the Districts.
Basin Now
First COVID-19 Death in Duchesne County
TriCounty Health Department announced on Monday a second COVID-19 death in the health district. The announcement states that it is a new confirmed COVID-19 death in Duchesne County that was reported by the Utah Department of Health. TriCounty Health explained that it was not included in Monday’s numbers because it was not yet confirmed.
CARES Act 2nd Round and Shops in Utah Grant
The joint effort and grant program of Uintah County, Vernal City, Naples City and Ballard City has received a second round of CARES Act funds to help struggling businesses. The first round resulted in $2.1 million dollars granted to over 250 businesses in the Uintah County area but it's time again to take advantage of these opportunities.
Youth Pheasant Hunt in Myton
Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources has teamed up with sponsors to hold the free youth pheasant hunt that will be held near Myton, Utah. This hunt is for novice hunters, those 17 years old and younger, to help them have a better chance in harvesting birds.
Utah’s Bureau of Land Management Finding Severe Misuse of Lands
The Uintah Basin has a lot of beautiful public lands that allow us to enjoy the outdoors. As a community we work together to keep those lands safe and clean. Still, the Utah Bureau of Land Management is asking everyone statewide to be more diligent.
Fate of Fire District and Other Special Service Districts Focus of City/County Meeting Today
A decision is anticipated today on the future of the Fire District and restructuring of other Special Service Districts in Uintah County. During a City/County meeting on August 24th, Uintah County Commissioners proposed that due to a severe decline in mineral lease funds several changes be made to the Special Service Districts.
New Manager Selected for Vernal Regional Airport
A new Manager has been selected for the Vernal Regional Airport. The position opened up last May when Manager Doug Brown announced his resignation after accepting a new career opportunity in Wisconsin. In June, it was announced that Vernal City would be taking over management of the airport from the Uintah Transportation Special Service District.
New Oil, Gas and Mining Grant Program Offering Support for Energy Businesses
The Governor’s Office of Energy Development has found another way to support businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic this year, this time utilizing $5 million dollars in federal CARES Act funds to help companies in the oil, gas and mining industries.
TriCounty Health Department to Install Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
The Uintah Basin, as with many places in the West, has been dealing with some very real problems with pollutants in the air because of wildfires. In a bit of refreshing news the TriCounty Health Department announced through a press release that they are a recipient of the UCAIR grant.
East Fork Fire and Center Creek Trail Fire Update
The warmer temperatures and low humidity led to increased fire activity at the East Fork Fire markedly west of Moon Lake and north of Twin Pots Reservoir. That said, containment increased to 18% as the crews made of 259 firefighters continue line construction and guided helicopters continue water bucket drops on hot spots.