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KNEU 1250Progress is being made on the Avintaquin Ridge Fire burning in a remote area of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. According to the BIA Forestry & Wildland Fire-Uintah & Ouray Agency, accurate mapping shows the entire fire area to now be at 111 acres and as of Sunday evening, the fire was considered 80 percent contained.
If you have been out and about you might have noticed signs warning of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) at certain bodies of water. For example, signs at Matt Warner Reservoir indicate serious danger and that the waters are closed to public use. It’s important for all to read and obey posted signs because while there have been no human deaths in the United States from the toxins of algal blooms, there are plenty of pet, livestock and wildlife deaths.
If it has felt like police departments have been issuing several warnings concerning scams, it is because they have. The Roosevelt City Police Department posted online about several scams that are reaching the Uintah Basin area. Be on the alert for the following: The scammers claim that you are in trouble in Texas (or some other location) because of either drugs or some other illegal activity.
Work is progressing on the Highway 40 Strawberry Valley construction but travelers can plan on continued delays. The 17 mile route from Daniels Summit at MP 34 to Soldier Creek at MP 52 will continue to have intermittent areas of construction with up to 15 minute delays. Speeds are reduced and there are single lane restrictions with pilot cars directing traffic. Crews are continuing work on the wildlife crossing at MP 34.5.
Travelers can expect delays on Highway 40 in Fort Duchesne as crews are scheduled to begin work today on the bridge rehab. “This work will necessitate reducing the traffic to one lane only,” shares the Utah Department of Transportation. “Temporary traffic lights will be installed to stop traffic in both directions. Traffic movement over the bridge will be staggered to allow movement in both directions at 10 minute intervals.” According to project information officer Nathan Clark, anyone traveling will have a significant slow down while they work on the bridge. The bottleneck effect could back up traffic for miles and miles and locals should consider utilizing alternate routes. The work is expected to last approximately ten days.
Impairment is suspected as a factor in a motorcycle crash that took place Saturday on SR-191 about 14 miles north of Vernal. According to the Utah Highway Patrol, a motorcycle with a single rider was traveling southbound at about 4:54pm near milepost 369 when the rider lost control and crashed.
A day of water fun ended in tragedy on Saturday afternoon. According to the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, a 9-1-1 call came in at about 3:30pm from a woman reporting that her 15-year-old nephew had gone under the water at Strawberry Reservoir and did not resurface.
Homesteading the wild west was a crazy experience. Adding to the craziness would be associating with known outlaws and that was certainly the case for the area of Brown’s Park. There is a history that reflects the struggles and fortitude that it took to survive. In the spirit of those wild times, the Brown’s Park School Alumni Association is hosting Brown’s Park Wild Bunch Days tomorrow to raise funds for the repair and maintenance of the Old Brown’s Park School for community use. The party at Brown’s Park includes navajo tacos, a flea market, bake sale, games, music, vendors and more. The event is August 17th starting at 10am and will go ‘til the cows come home. Everything is cash only with all proceeds going towards restoration and maintenance of the historic schoolhouse.
The fundraiser for ‘Be the Light Recovery’ planned for tomorrow at Vernal’s Colton Pavilion has two great reasons you’ll want to be in attendance: it’s a truly worthy cause and there will be excellent food. “Be the Light is a small nonprofit that we plan on growing,” shares committee member John Hatch.
In an effort to conserve water and protect agriculture shareholders rights, canals throughout the Ashley Valley have plans for or are in the process of being piped. While locals generally understand the need and overall process underway there is a growing number opposed to the plans of the Ashley Central Canal to pipe Kids Canal, located in Vernal from 500 North to 500 South on 1500 West.
The Ute Tribal Business Committee released a statement on Wednesday following a decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to allow direct collection of certain eagles when found on tribal lands. While they express support for this aspect of the new policy, opposition is expressed for the possibility of broader use.
In early July TriCounty Health posted signs at Matt Warner Reservoir limiting recreation due to a Harmful Algal Bloom. While swimming and recreation was restricted, fishing was still considered safe. This week that changed and new signs have been posted closing the waters entirely due to the toxic algae, meaning the lake is now closed to the public. A joint press release was issued on Wednesday from the Department of Environmental Quality, TriCounty Health, and the Division of Natural Resources explaining that a recent water sample at Matt Warner showed 109 million cells per milliliter of cyanobacteria – which is over 11 times the EPA’s threshold for closure.