The government shutdown continues and Representative Rob Bishop has plenty to say about it. “This shutdown impasse is entirely due to the misuse of the Senate filibuster,” says Bishop. “It’s not complicated, America should have secure borders. This is something Democrats have supported for years, until recently.
School administration acted quickly on Thursday morning at Ashley Elementary in Vernal when an Carbon Monoxide alarm went off. The school was evacuated with students and staff walking to nearby Uintah Middle School and the Vernal City-Uintah County Fire Department responded. Parents and guardians were notified of the situation through the District’s call system and were updated within half an hour that firefighters had given the all-clear for students and faculty to return to the school.
For budding science stars in the Uintah Basin looking to get a scholarship for college, the Governor’s Office of Energy Development has an opportunity. Any high school seniors who want to pursue a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) related course of study at a institution of higher learning in Utah can submit for a chance to win a scholarship.
A local high school student is the focus of an amazing new video from the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Uintah High School student Sean Fletcher is the perfect example of how new technology can assist students who are blind and visually impaired. The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind provided Sean with the Aira smart glasses, offering Sean a new level of independence.
Generosity has flowed through communities in the Basin this Christmas season. Several deeds out of Duchesne County highlighted on social media recently include the following: The Duchesne County Food Pantry was especially blessed with donations, with over 2800 pounds of food from Roosevelt Junior High, 736 pounds from Union High Students, 410 pounds from Crescent Point, and over 3000 pounds from Uintah Basin Healthcare. Many wonderful volunteers gave their time to the pantries. Uintah Basin Healthcare identified four groups that gave to the hospital: The Hales family donated tiles and swaddling blankets for those who experience an infant loss. There were arm loads of hand-made blankets for patients in Med-Surg from Western Ag Credit. The William family delivered gifts to pediatric patients for “Random Acts of Kindness for Rozee” honoring their angel baby girl. And a $200 dollar donation was given to the hospice team from Utah Power Credit Union to go towards their “sunshine baskets” that they give to grieving families who lose a loved one. And finally, Roosevelt City Police Department reported that the Basin Quilters Guild recently donated a large number of small quilts for officers to give to children involved in accidents or traumatic events.
On Sunday, December 16th, members of Vernal City Police, the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Indian Affairs were involved in a high speed chase that ended in two arrests. It started when Vernal Police Officers responded to a report of a suspicious incident around 5pm in the Vernal area. After initial contact was made with two individuals inside the vehicle, the female driver began to drive away.
The Uintah County Commission approved the 2019 budget this week during Monday’s Commission meeting. The total Uintah County budget approved for 2019 is $71,918,850. This is down from the 2018 total budget of $83,335,800. Clerk/Auditor Mike Wilkins explains that the main difference between the two years is the 2018 budget included nearly $11 million dollars for a project to pipe the upper and highline canals but that project has now been turned over to the Uintah Water Conservancy District.
Roosevelt City has partnered with the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program and is in the earliest stages of designing a trail close to downtown Roosevelt. The area for the proposed trail is a section of Cottonwood Creek between Lagoon Street and 800 South.
As a part of Red Ribbon Week, the National Family Partnership has a photo contest to help spread the Red Ribbon Week message in neighborhoods, communities and on social media. The contest has winners for five regions, individual entries and special awards by the judges. For the third year in a row, Naples Elementary has received the most votes and won for Region 5.
Invite the Christmas spirit into your life and into the lives of local elderly by planning to go to the Uintah County Heritage Museum in the coming days. The museum has a goal to make 180 holiday cards from now to December 20th. These cards will be delivered by The Golden Age Center as they go around the community giving meals to homebound elderly clients.