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KNEU 1250Local news from across the Uintah Basin.
The 2018 session of Utah Legislature finished up last Thursday with several bills having particular interest to the Uintah Basin from Representative Scott Chew’s point of view. Among the items he found concerning were a potential gas tax for education that could be on the election ballot statewide and a state tax to help address the issue of homelessness in Utah.
Derk Hatch and his hardworking crew are getting credit where it is due as the group recognized this week by Team Uintah. Many of the people in the Uintah Basin are familiar with Derk Hatch. “Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of colorful stories about Derk as well,” shares Uintah School District Superintendent Mark Dockins.
Releases from Flaming Gorge have decreased in order to meet a spring elevation target. According to Heather Patno, Bureau of Reclamation Hydraulic Engineer, the required base flow release period mandated in the 2006 Record of Decision expired the end of February.
Vernal City Mayor Doug Hammond read a statement during Wednesday’s City Council meeting concerning a proposal to add fluoride to Uintah County drinking water. Mayor Hammond explained that the topic of fluoridation was not initiated by Vernal City or the City Council but by a group of local healthcare professionals who are gathering signatures in hopes of including the topic on the November ballot.
Hantavirus may not be on most Basin residents radar but the virus is carried by rodents in the TriCounty area and can be passed to humans. Deer mice carry the virus and do live throughout the Uintah Basin mostly in fields and remote areas, shares TriCounty Health epidemiologist Diana Oyler.
EAGLE Students of the Month for Uintah Basin Christian Academy are Kohen Bowden and Cuyler Pitchford.
Seat belts made a big difference in a serious crash on Highway 40 in Vernal on Thursday. According to Utah Highway Patrol, the crash took place at approximately 12:54pm when a white 2012 Ford F-250, driven by a 66-year-old Lapoint man, was traveling Westbound on Highway 40 in the area of 1500 South. A red 1997 Plymouth Neon, driven by a 19-year-old Vernal woman, was stationary on the West side of the 1500 South intersection at the stop sign. The driver of the Neon pulled out of the intersection to make a left-hand turn and was struck on the driver side by the White Ford F-250. The driver of the red Neon was transported by ambulance to Ashley Regional Medical Center. The driver of the White Ford was uninjured in the accident. Both drivers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
A local high school senior will soon embark on a third world medical mission and you could say he has spent most of his life preparing to do so. Joseph Garcia, Jr. has watched his father, Dr. Joseph Garcia, Sr., go on medical missions with the U.S. Air Force for his entire life and has been going with his dad on trips to hospitals in Iowa, Texas, and Utah since he was 6 years old. The experiences have clearly made a positive impression as Joseph, Jr. now aspires to become a physician and do humanitarian work by traveling to do medical missions of his own. He has studied Spanish for 3 years to help prepare for the humanitarian work and a future LDS mission and is this year’s Union High School World Languages Sterling Scholar. Joseph has interned through Union’s CAPS program working at the Uintah Basin Medical Center with his father and Dr. Baum for the last two years. He is the student founder and president of HOSA – Future Health Professionals at Union and is currently preparing for a medical mission to Guatemala this summer with his father and uncle. A donation drive is underway for the mission. They are gathering hygiene kits among other useful items including bars of soap, combs, hand towels, toothbrushes, toothpaste, nail clippers, exercise books, rulers, sharpeners, erasers, glue, colored pencils, blue pens, pencils, and backpacks (plastic lined if possible). Help this impressive young man make a difference in the world by dropping off donations at the main entrances of Uintah Basin Healthcare locations. Joseph Sr. ( Air force Doctor), and Joseph Jr.
If plans continue to line up, Starvation State Park will soon have a new name to honor a man with strong Basin roots. Fred Hayes, director of State Parks and Recreation, passed away early this month at the age of 58 and Utah legislature quickly passed a Resolution to honor Hayes by renaming a state park in his honor but why Starvation State Park? Hayes started his career in 1982 as a Ranger Aide at Starvation State Park. Hayes grew up in Duchesne County and before his state parks career he spent several years as a biology, math, and personal health teacher in Duchesne and Uintah County public schools. After launching his career at Starvation State Park, Hayes worked in numerous positions over the years including park ranger and deputy director before becoming the state director. Hayes lived in Heber at the time of his passing. He is survived by his wife Serena and their five children.
The Ute Tribe has filed two more federal lawsuit against the United States of America, this time alleging mismanagement of the Tribe’s water rights. According to a Ute Tribe press release dated March 9th, the Tribe has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims requesting monetary relief to compensate for what the Tribe calls “past harms” as well as a second lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for, quote, “equitable relief to hold the United States accountable to the Tribe now and into the future.”
The Ute Indian Tribe has filed two complaints against the United States of America in federal court. According to a Tribe press release dated March 9th, the Ute Tribe has commenced litigation against the United States for what it calls “its blatant mismanagement of the Tribe’s Uncompahgre Reservation lands.”
In its 14th year, the Storytelling Festival hosted annually by the Uintah Schools Foundation is considered a treasured event by many locals. Thursday night the Vernal Middle School Auditorium filled with families, some who come every year and some trying the festival out for the first time.