Basin Now

While completing the CENSUS may not be at the top of the priority list, local communities are urging citizens to take the few minutes to complete it because millions of dollars in funding are at stake if locals don’t.

The public is being asked to avoid the area as crews battle a wildfire in Wyoming and northeastern Utah. Details are minimal but Utah Fire Info reports that the Richard Fire started in Wyoming on Monday and burned across the border into Utah.

So many local events have been cancelled due to COVID-19 the Basin public might be wondering what is still happening. One event that some might assume is canceled is the Duchesne County Fair happening this week.

Everyone has been asking what school will be like when it starts back up in the fall. There has been a lot of ideas, regulations, misinformation, misunderstanding, rumors and just plain lack of knowing that has caused confusion for many.

Gone but never forgotten. 70 years ago a Vernal man lost his life due to health complications after bravely battling a wildfire in Dinosaur National Monument. On July 20th, 1950, Fire Control Aide Theadore McCarrell was stationed in the Jones Hole area of the Monument when he spotted smoke at about 7am.

Reopening schools while navigating COVID-19 guidelines may feel overwhelming but resources are being provided to help the community, families, and schools to prepare. The state has provided the COVID-19 School Manual on the Coronavirus website.

Locals are taking a stand against the horrors of child sex trafficking and showed up in force at the Vernal Rescue Run to support Operation Underground Railroad. All involved were amazed when Friday’s event was able to double that and raise $10,000 dollars.

On June 13th, Roosevelt’s Dalton Van was killed in a vehicle rollover at the young age of 19. Despite his age, Dalton had accomplished a great deal, including graduating from UBTech’s welding program, winning the Miller Electric’s Weld-Mask Scholarship Sweepstake, earning two gold medals at the Utah SkillsUSA competition, earning a silver medal at the National SkillsUSA contest, and being ranked second in the nation for his skills.

While wildfires have become less frequent than earlier in the month, there are a few locally that crews still have their eye on. According to UtahFireInfo.gov, the Split Fire, which was discovered on June 26th, is just 25 percent contained.