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Local news from across the Uintah Basin.

Basin Now

New Specialized All-Terrain Sheriff’s Vehicle Aids in Rescue of 12 During Blizzard

Dec 5, 2019 · Basin Now · News

The warnings and dangerous conditions were not enough to deter some adventurers in southern Wyoming over the weekend who are now especially grateful for a new specialized piece of equipment recently acquired by the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office. On the evening of November 29th, Sweetwater County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of four vehicles stranded on top of White Mountain in blizzard conditions. Wind speeds were estimated at 60 to 70 miles per hour with gusts as high as 80 miles per hour. To make matters worse, two of the vehicles were actually off the roadway near the edge of the mountain and the winds were causing the vehicles to slide down the mountain.

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TriCounty Board Asks Legislature to Reduce Youth Access to E-Cigarettes

Dec 5, 2019 · Basin Now · News

The TriCounty Board of Health has taken a stand as part of their resolve to protect youth in local communities. During their public meeting on Wednesday the TriCounty Board of Health adopted a resolution “to encourage the legislature to take action to reduce access and availability of e-cigarettes to individuals under 21 years old.” The resolution urges “the Utah State Legislature to take action by creating an excise tax for e-cigarettes, ban e-cigarette flavors and move sales of ‘open system’ e-cigarettes to specialty retail stores.”

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Craig City Council Makes Appointment for Vacant Council Seat

Dec 5, 2019 · Basin Now · News

Craig City Council is moving forward following the arrest and subsequent vacancy of former council member Brian MacKenzie. Craig Daily Press reports that the Council appointed Craig native Ryan Hess to fill the vacant seat. 48-year-old Brian Paul Mackenzie was arrested on October 11th for the crimes of Internet Luring of a Child, Internet Sexual Exploitation of a Child, and Criminal Attempt Sexual Assault on a Child. In the aftermath, MacKenzie submitted a letter of resignation from the Craig City Council at which point the City began accepting letters of interest from community members.

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Stop the Opidemic with Naloxone Training at Uintah County Library

Dec 5, 2019 · Basin Now · News

Opioids are a real danger to all communities but has definitely hit the Uintah Basin community hard. While there is a great deal of effort and expense to battle this epidemic on both a federal and state level, it is the community that is looking to educate this week. The Utah State University County Extension is hosting a free Naloxone training event. The event plans to educate the community to the dangers of opioids and to try to reduce the number of overdoses related to them. Those that attend the event will learn how to administer Naloxone, a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose, and then they will receive a e rescue kit to take home.

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Protect Yourself from the Package Grinch This Christmas Season

Dec 4, 2019 · Basin Now · News

Unfortunately, there are a few Grinches lurking about during the holiday season. Vernal City Assistant Police Chief Keith Campbell confirms that every year holiday package theft is a local problem but that doesn't mean you should be a willing victim. “If you are expecting a package, watch for it and take it inside as soon as possible,” shares Campbell. “If you are unable to do so have a neighbor, friend, or family member watch for the package. If packages are taken inside and are out of sight it will reduce temptation and availability for thieves.” But what if you do fall victim? “If you discover you are missing a package,” says Campbell, “attempt to track it. If it has been delivered and is missing, immediately report it to Central Dispatch at 435-789-4222 or law enforcement.”

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Roosevelt City Fire Department Celebrates 100 Years of Service

Dec 4, 2019 · Basin Now · News

The Roosevelt City Fire Department had an extra special reason to celebrate at their annual Christmas party held Monday night. The event took the time to recognize five firefighters who have 100 Years of Service shared between them. Kendall Murphy and Lee Rockwood have both given 30 years of service. Ron Winn has given 25 years of service. Ryan Kunz has given 10 years of service and Sven Nelson has given 5 years of service. Roosevelt City took the time on their Facebook page to recognize these amazing men and publicly thank them for their service.

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Uintah County Deputy and K9 Partner Competing on “America’s Top Dog”

Dec 4, 2019 · Basin Now · News

The Uintah Basin has some very talented individuals that often stay out of the limelight. There are, however, some individuals whose talents will soon gain a wide audience whether they like the attention or not. Uintah County Sheriff’s Deputy Amy Leishman and her K9 partner Riddick will be competing in the A&E Network series “America’s Top Dog.” The duo will compete nose-to-nose against top police K9’s and civilian dogs (plus their handlers) in the ultimate K9 obstacle course. “America’s Top Dog” is from MGM’s Big Fish Entertainment and will premiere on January 8th at 9pm Eastern Time on A&E. Show your support for Amy and Riddick by tuning in to watch this talented duo show the nation what they can do.

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Moon Gingerbread Creation of ‘The Hobbit’ on Display in All Its Glory

Dec 4, 2019 · Basin Now · News

For 15 years now the Moon family of Jensen has generously shared their talents with the Uintah Basin through the creation of epic gingerbread displays and this year’s creation is now on display. Some of themes considered were Never Ending Story, Princess Bride and Alice in Wonderland but in the end the Moon family settled on ‘The Hobbit: There and Back Again.’ The final creation has around 80 pounds of dough and took the whole month of November to complete. Such a creation isn’t without its frustration. Stephen Moon relates how he had finished making all the trees for the Out of the Frying Pan scene when screams, crashes, and a very scared cat left all the trees reduced to shards.

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Duchesne Arts Council Holding Winter Art Festival

Dec 4, 2019 · Basin Now · News

In an effort to bring “Art For Every Season” the Duchesne Arts Council sponsors events for each season of the year. Winter brings the joy of Christmas and the glow of the holiday season and is the perfect setting for the Winter Art Festival this Thursday, December 5th. There is a free kids craft and some treats that start at 4pm and will go until 5:30pm. At 5:30pm, the Duchesne Community Orchestra and other local musicians will hold a free concert and a Christmas sing along. For those that want to be part of the final event you will need to purchase tickets.

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Make Safety the Top Priority During Winter Travel

Dec 4, 2019 · Basin Now · News

Even though the intense snowstorms missed much of the Uintah Basin over the Thanksgiving holiday we are definitely heading into winter and that means winter travel conditions. Uintah County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public that when facing winter driving conditions individuals need to change the way that they drive. Drive slower than posted speeds, leave extra room between vehicles around your vehicle, and be sure to avoid cruise control, braking quickly and taking sharp turns. Do not crowd the plows on the road, give them plenty of room to work. Another key component is to stay alert to weather and road conditions as they will change rapidly. Finally, it is a good idea to keep your gas tank at least half full and to have a winter safety kit in the car.

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Trees For Charity Auction Gala a Magical and Generous Evening

Dec 3, 2019 · Basin Now · News

It truly was a magical and generous evening at the Trees For Charity Auction Gala at the Uintah Conference Center on Monday night. Local inspiration Braxten Nielsen worked the crowd as the auctioneer to sell 41 trees to the highest bidders, the night’s total reaching $233,300 dollars! The ‘Healing With Harmony’ Tree to benefit Cindy Hadlock was purchased and rebid several times, receiving bids totalling $31,400 dollars. A special Hunt and Mount auction to benefit Cindy also received $3,500 dollars for a grand total of $34,900 dollars. Cindy is a mother to young children and was recently diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer.