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KNEU 1250Local news from across the Uintah Basin.
Showing the Uintah Basin that there is no age limit to service, students at Davis Elementary recently finished a fun and worthwhile service project. What made this project even more special was that it was sponsored and planned by Angela Hawkins’ third grade class. Each month, a few students who are performing well in class organize an activity that will benefit the school or the community.
Last year feedback from an expert on tourism and economic development evaluated the Vernal area. He made many recommendations, one of which was a wayfinding system. In response, 8 local entities including Uintah County, Naples City, Ballard City, Vernal City, Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce, Uintah Recreation District, Uintah County Tourism and the Uintah Transportation Special Service District have joined together to address the issue.
Becky Williams, a Utah State University- Uintah Basin professor, and Rich Etchberger, USU vice provost of regional campuses and former USU-Uintah Basin wildlife science professor, have been recognized for all their efforts in successfully running the Uintah Youth Conservation Corps by the USDA Forest Service.
Santa’s Community Effort has a long and successful history in Uintah County with the Rotary Club now keeping the cause organized and running. Even with economic downturn, locals each year take tags from the trees around town and follow through by donating gifts for the children assigned. The hope is that the generosity will continue this year to help brighten the holidays for local families in need.
The Community Impact Board met Thursday with the a request to fund the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Uintah Basin Rail Project. A motion to approve the full amount of approximately $28 million dollars failed when it faced a split vote and the chairman broke the tie and voted against the motion. The state treasurer David Damschen and a representative from the state attorney general’s office were vocal in the discussion, opposing the project.
Having a chance to meet and talk to a policeman or other community hero is a dream come true for most kids. If this is true for little members of your family, the Uintah County Library is the place to be tomorrow, November 9th, from 3 to 5pm for the ‘Community Helpers’ event. Children’s Librarian Roxanne Peterson says the layout will be similar to a job fair with separate stations around the library. Fire trucks will be parked between the library and Heritage Museum and a craft will be at the museum.
As the decline of honey bee colonies affects the world, the Uintah Basin is looking to address those needs by hosting the State of Utah Honey Bee Conference tonight, November 8th, at 6pm at the Uintah Conference Center. The Basin welcomes special guest speaker Sharah Yaddaw, Communications Director for Project Apis m. (PAm).
It was a record voter turnout for the 2018 General Election. Uintah County Clerk-Auditor Mike Wilkins reports a 71.4 percent voter turnout which is at least 30 percent higher than the average for a non-presidential election year. Wilkins also reported that 200 ballots were received in the mail on Wednesday and, in addition to the 269 ballots that need signatures verified, there are also 275 provisional ballots.
A Duchesne County woman has been charged with the August murder of a 2-year-old foster son in her care. Court records show that on November 7th, 41-year-old Lisa Jo Vanderlinden was charged in 8th District Court with 1st Degree Felony Aggravated Murder.
The preliminary General Election results are in with school board races the main focus locally. In Uintah County, the School Board District 1 race is close with Harlan Wilkins winning the popular vote at 50.42 percent of the vote ahead of Lori Gillman at 49.58 percent. As of Tuesday night, this was a difference of 17 votes which could be affected once all mail-in and absentee ballots are counted over the coming days.
It’s been an amazing time of growth and reaching goals for the Uintah Basin Youth Chamber Orchestra. “I remember our first rehearsal three years ago and seeing everyone’s reaction to the sound they just heard,” shares organization founder and executive director Brad Vanfleet.
Prescribed burning is scheduled to begin this week in the Ashley National Forest Flaming Gorge-Vernal Ranger District northeast of the Ute Tower. Depending on weather, burning will begin on Wednesday or Thursday, November 7th or 8th. The treatment area is 1,695 acres with an estimated 300 to 600 acres of that planned for completion during the operation.