KCYN-KCPX News Weds 27 June 2012


>>Hatch Survives Primary Vote Over Tea Party Rival

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Veteran Senator Orrin Hatch wins easily against a Tea Party movement-backed challenger. The 78-year-old stalwart of the Republican Party was first elected to the Senate in 1976. Hatch commanded a decisive lead over his rival, 37-year-old Dan Liljenquist, a former state senator who billed himself as a face for change and more conservative leadership.
SALT LAKE CITY — Chief Deputy Attorney General John Swallow beat Sean Reyes Tuesday to become the GOP nominee for attorney general in what was one of the state's nastiest primary races.
Swallow had 68 percent of the vote and Reyes, 32 percent.
There was also a hard-fought race for the GOP nomination for state auditor. Longtime state Auditor Auston Johnson faced his first-ever primary challenge from Rep. John Dougall, R-American Fork.With nearly 97 percent of the vote in, Dougall appeared headed to victory with a more than 3,000 vote lead over the incumbent

>>Romney Wins Utah Primary In Landslide

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- No surprise to anyone, but Mitt Romney won the Utah Presidential Primary yesterday by a wide margin. Romney led over all challengers with more than 90-percent of the vote. Romney essentially wrapped up the GOP nomination in May with a victory in Texas. Utah is the final primary in the country, leading up to the Republican National Convention in August.
>>Salt Lake County Mayor GOP Primary Headed For Recount

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Three of the highest-profile primaries were easy victories for the winners last night, but the Republican race for Salt Lake County Mayor is almost certainly headed to a recount. With votes from all precincts counted, former county councilman Mark Crockett holds a 239-vote lead over West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder. It's unlikely that absentee and provisional ballots still to be counted will change the margin enough to avoid a recount. Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, Democratic congressional candidate Donna McAleer and GOP Attorney General candidate John Swallow each won with at least two-thirds of the vote in their races.

>>One Dead In Wood Hollow Fire; Fairview Evacuated

(Fairview, UT) -- Search and rescue crews evaluating charred areas of the Wood Hollow Fire discovered a body yesterday. The victim was not identified and no other details were released. The sheriff's office also ordered the town of Fairview to evacuate late Tuesday afternoon because of the unpredictable wildfire. More than one-thousand people live in the town and will remain evacuated through the night. Officials will reassess the situation this morning.

>>Girl's Body Found Near Home In West Jordan

(West Jordan, UT) -- Police are investigating the death of a 6-year-old girl, found dead in a canal near her home Tuesday morning. Police are calling her death "suspicious" and a possible homicide. It occurred in the same neighborhood where a fire destroyed two houses on Saturday. Just before 7:30 a.m., the girl's family called police to report that she was missing from her home. Officers started searching the area and soon found her in a canal, not far from her home.

>>Consumer Index Holds Steady In Utah For June

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Utah consumers are expressing tentative optimism this month regarding the state's economic fortunes. The Zions Bank Consumer Attitude Index climbed seven-tenths of a point to almost 80 in June, while the U.S. Consumer Confidence Index fell two-and-one-half points to 62. The index was up 13-and-a-half points compared to the same time last year. The Consumer Price Index rose one-half-percent from April to May.
>>BYU Poll: Mormons' Mixed Feelings About Romney, Media Coverage

(Provo, UT) -- Utah Mormons are overwhelmingly excited about Mitt Romney's campaign for President and believe it's good for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But more than two-thirds don't trust the media to cover the church fairly, according to the Key Research/BYU survey. BYU political science professor Kelly Patterson says, "It seems like th excitement is higher than the dread." The survey is available on the blog, Utah Data Points.

>>Matheson Says Holder In Contempt Of Congress

(Undated) -- Utah Democratic Congressman Jim Matheson will vote to find U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. The House will vote this week on a contempt citation for Holder's refusal to produce more documents on the failed "Fast and Furious" gun trafficking operation to Mexico drug cartels. U.S. law enforcement officials lost track of hundreds of guns, including one that turned up at the scene of the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol officer.

>>Cooler Temps, Thunderstorms But Little Rain In Forecast

(Undated) -- Storms moving into Utah today will bring slightly cooler temperatures, but little if any rainfall, the National Weather Service says. Afternoon highs will be in the upper 80s and winds won't be as strong as they have been, but thunderstorms could produce lightning strikes that could start new fires in the state's bone-dry deserts and forests. Wildfires burning across the state have blackened thousands of acres, destroyed dozens of homes and are blamed for at least one death.