Officer Appreciation Expanding
Appreciation and gestures extended to local law enforcement throughout the Basin is expanding in some cases to include all professionals in the community that work to keep the peace.
Local News — Page 1184
Livestock Ordinance
Adjustments to county code will now allow for more livestock on a variety of zones within Uintah County. According to Uintah County Commissioner Mark Raymond, the county code was adjusted to be consistent with Vernal City recommendations. The increase in variety permitted on private property within the county is applicable to RA-1, A-1, A-3, and A-4 zones.
Plea Deal in Kidnapping Case
A Vernal man on the sex offender registry accepted a plea deal on kidnapping and sexual assault charges from an incident this spring. 57-year-old Charles Irwin Alexander was alone with a woman planning to smoke heroin with him on May 5th when he held a knife to her throat after she refused to have sex with him and had attempted to leave.
Public Lands Initiative
After years of collaboration and thousands of hours of work, Representative Rob Bishop and Representative Jason Chaffetz have formally introduced the Utah Public Lands Initiative to the United States House of Representatives. “The effort of PLI was always to solve problems that have led to acrimony and to do so by conserving lands worthy of conservation and providing economic and recreational opportunities for all Utahns,” shared Representative Bishop after the initiative was introduced to the House.
Duchesne County K-9 Recruit
The latest recruit to the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office is known by only one letter. A 14-month-old German Shepherd named “Q” has joined current canine “Kimber” at the Duchesne County K-9 operations. Cpl. Morant Harrison has been assigned as Q’s canine handler and the pair are quickly becoming a great team.
Attorney General Press Conference
Local law agencies were recognized on Wednesday for their work in arrests made on human trafficking in Utah. In the special press conference on Wednesday, Attorney General Sean Reyes announced human trafficking arrests and child sex exploitation charges that involved minors inside Utah and crossing state lines. Among the list of agencies specially recognized and praised was the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office and the Vernal Police Department.
Plea Deal for Arizona Man Arrested on Federal Charge
A 20-year-old Arizona man charged with felony rape in 8th District Court has accepted a plea deal with lesser charges.
Flaming Gorge Ups Security
Security at Flaming Gorge is about to get a major boost. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, an $8.3 million dollar contract was awarded on Tuesday to Chenega Security to “provide around the clock security services for Flaming Gorge Dam, Powerplant and Visitor’s Center. These services will protect the dam and associated facilities — including critical assets, employees and visitors.” Flaming Gorge Dam is a powerful asset providing water storage, power generation and flood control with a capacity of nearly 3.8 million acre feet of water storage.
Bishop’s Bill to Save Utah Taxpayers
A bill with the potential to save Utah taxpayers money moved through House Committee on Wednesday with a favorable recommendation. HR 5468 is Congressman Rob Bishop’s bill to allow the acceleration of capital repayments of a Utah water district to the federal government.
Fires Plague Neighboring Colorado
Fires have plagued Moffat County and western Colorado this week. On Tuesday, a home fire in Craig quickly spread causing firefighters to tear down part of the ceiling inside the home to reach the fire in the space between the ceiling and roof. Four people were inside the home at the time of the fire but all got out safely and damage to the inside of the home was kept to a minimum.
Funeral for a Bird
Sunday’s were often a time for short family adventures when our children were young. On one such adventure, we found ourselves along a deserted rural road paying final tribute to a bird. One of God’s feathered creatures who had the misfortune colliding with the windshield of our car.
Holmes and Richens Sentenced
Two men involved in a home robbery in Vernal have been sentenced to prison. Last August, a trio of men entered a trailer home hoping to rob a safe they believed contained drugs and cash. They fled, leaving the homeowner stabbed and in critical condition, but the three men were later arrested. In March, 23-year-old Kaden Holmes pleaded guilty to reduced charges of attempted aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy while 25-year-old Lynn Richens pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated burglary and attempted criminal conspiracy.