Click your favorite station to learn more
98.5 The Fox
105.5 KLCY
104.5 KVEL
92.5 Jack
KNEU 1250Sunday’s drowning victim at Flaming Gorge has been identified. Many family and friends are mourning the tragic loss of Mikal Wersland and among those are his Salt Lake area law enforcement family. Wersland retired from the force about a year ago but worked for South Salt Lake Police, Unified Police, and was a SWAT member for many years.
Changes big and small are happening in Vernal, all in an effort to bring new life to the historic downtown area. Dinosaur themed blade signs for downtown businesses are the latest focus of the Downtown Revitalization Committee. The blade signs are pedestrian scale that will be installed perpendicular to the face of each building in order to be easily read by pedestrians.
The Bender Mountain Fire is burning in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. According to Wyoming’s Sweetwater County Fire Warden Mike Bournazian, Sweetwater County crews responded shortly before midnight on Sunday in the Clay Basin area where the wildland fire was burning east of Highway 191 in the area of the Utah State line, only about 2 and a half miles south of where the three corners of Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado meet.
Downtown Vernal will soon be safer for pedestrians. UDOT has announced they will be placing a pedestrian signal downtown on Highway 40 to improve safety. The signal will be placed between 200 East and 250 East on Main Street in the area of the Uintah County building. Uintah County officials petitioned UDOT to place the signal downtown to provide a safe crossing option between the lights on Vernal Avenue and 500 East.
A new school year means a surge of pedestrians on sidewalks and crossing roads. Roosevelt City has announced the installation of new crosswalks and the message that in the busy hours before and after school, it is essential that everyone, whether walking or driving, follow safety guidelines at crosswalks.
Scholarships make a real difference to locals furthering their education at USU-Uintah Basin and thanks to a successful golf tournament there will be more scholarships to go around. The second annual ‘Perfect Swing for Scholarships’ golf tournament was held on Wednesday, August 29th, at Dinaland Golf Course in Vernal.
Daggett County Sheriff’s Office has released information on two deaths over the weekend that occurred at Flaming Gorge in separate accidents. According to Sheriff Bailey, search and rescue responded to a rollover ATV accident on County Road 17 early Friday evening, involving three adult males. “Upon arrival deputies were advised that one passenger of a Polaris RZR 4 was trapped inside the vehicle, which had rolled into Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Sheriff’s deputies and search and rescue personnel attempted to extricate the passenger for over 30 minutes.
A new fire start has been announced on BLM land north of Vernal. According to BLM representative Kelsey Birchell, the Bender Mountain Fire was started on September 2nd and is human caused. As of Monday afternoon the fire had spread to 2500 acres.
The Swinging Bridge at Brown’s Park has finally reopened and a dedication ceremony has been announced for later this month. The bridge closed in 2014 when a tractor, well over the weight limit, tried driving across and was left suspended above the Green River after breaking through. After several years of gathering funding and making plans, reconstruction began in late spring and the bridge was complete in August.
Dinosaur National Monument has lifted their Stage 1 fire restrictions. According to the National Park Service announcement, the slightly cooler temperatures and recent rainfall has reduced the fire danger. “Monument visitors are reminded to still be cautious with fire as some areas may contain substantial amounts of dry vegetation,” shares the announcement.
Roosevelt Youth Football is now playing on fields with goal posts thanks to Newfield Exploration. The team has played without goal posts for several years but Newfield took note and constructed and installed the new goal posts on the Centennial Park fields. Sunbelt Rentals also joined the cause and donated their equipment to make the installation possible. Newfield painted the posts bright gold to match Union Cougar colors.
A favorite annual tradition is practically here! Family Fun Day at Starvation State Park is coming up next week. The event is put on each year as a combined effort by the Duchesne County Chamber of Commerce, Duchesne City, Starvation State Park, and the Walleye Classic. Duchesne County Chamber Director Irene Hansen looks forward to this Family Fun Day every year.