Basin Now

Congressman Rob Bishop was the special guest speaker at the Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce annual meeting held on Tuesday and he shared his positive outlook for the future of the Uintah Basin.

Ballots are arriving in mailboxes this week as the Utah Primary Election approaches. The Republican and Democratic parties are both holding their Primary Elections on June 30th and all voting must be done using mail-in ballots. Uintah County shared some important voting information to help those planning on casting their vote.

Although they had to make some changes, the 4-H organization was able to hold their 2020 Uintah Basin Junior Livestock Show. The event was streamed which allowed call-in bids along with those that attended. Local auctioneers and cowboys Joe Frost and Braxton Nielsen kept things moving and it was a successful auction.

The Yazzie Family will be holding a Memorial Poker Run to honor fallen officer Joshua Yazzie. All bikers are invited to come and follow the Yazzie Family starting at the UTE Tribal Justice Center in Fort Duchesne along a route that will be announced but will end at Constitution Park in Roosevelt.

TriCounty Health Officer Jordan Mathis provided a COVID-19 update on Tuesday during the Give’m Health segment on Eagle Country 105.5 FM KLCY. Mathis shared that there were 2 new local cases over the weekend and it's possible that there will be more from these cases due to potential infections in the homes.

Roosevelt Police shared last week on Facebook that they have heard that there are some organized rallies that will be taking place in Roosevelt in support of civil rights. Roosevelt City Police Chief Rick Harrison has confirmed that organizers will be holding an event at the Old Mill Park in Roosevelt at 4:30pm today and has been told that “the intent is unification and peaceful exchange of ideas and concerns.”

The Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce held their annual meeting during their luncheon held at the Uintah Conference Center on Tuesday. This was the 71st year for their annual meeting and the meeting was an uplifting experience.

In a bit of exciting news the crews working on US-40 in Gusher have completed the first round of paving this week. Travellers might have noticed that the crew has shifted the work zone to the north side of the road. The traffic will be down to one-lane with flaggers helping on Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 8pm to 5am.

Vernal Police identified the suspect in the June 3rd shooting in a press release issued Monday morning. They shared the following: “On Wednesday June 3rd, numerous law enforcement agencies assisted the Vernal Police Department in a Homicide investigation.

On the morning of June 3rd, an employee at Uintah High School reported hearing a gunshot and ricochet sound outside the high school.