KCYN-KCPX News 24July2012   PIONEER DAY!

>>Happy Pioneer Day

(Undated) -- Utahns are celebrating Pioneer Day today. The annual Days of '47 parade begins at nine o'clock this morning at the corner of South Temple and State Street. It will wind through downtown Salt Lake City and end at Liberty Park. Many people, of course, went out last night to stake their claims to prime viewing spots along the parade route. Many government offices are closed today in honor of the arrival of the pioneers to the valley. The Native American community is holding an all-day celebration that will end with fireworks tonight at Liberty Park. There will also be fireworks after the Salt Lake Bees game at Spring Mobile Ballpark.

Teen Walks Away From Crash After Falling Down Embankment

(Cottonwood Heights, UT) -- A teenage driver is lucky that she has only a sprained foot after a car crash that sent her plunging ten feet into a concrete well next to a building. Cottonwood Heights police say the girl was on Fort Union Boulevard when she messed up a turn onto Promenade Drive. She went through the intersection, hopped a curb, went down an embankment, through landscaping and then her car fell nose-down into a paved area next to the Hillside Business Center. Amazingly, even though her car was on its side after all that, she had only a sprained foot.

>>Speed Skating Equipment Stolen From Utah Olympic Oval

(Kearns, UT) -- The search is on for some pretty expensive speed skating equipment that was stolen from the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns. Police say two people walked in during regular hours, broke into four lockers and stole whatever they could find. KSTU-TV reports one Olympic hopeful, Patrick Meek, says his training for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia will be affected. He might have to miss a few weeks of practicing on ice because his skates, which are specifically designed for him, were stolen. Thousands of dollars worth of equipment was taken, but Unified Police do have surveillance video to use in their investigation.

>>BYU Closer To Owning Land Under Mountainside "Y"

(Washington, DC) -- Brigham Young University is closer to owning the land under the famous "Y" on the side of a mountain. The House of Representatives has passed a bill sponsored by Congressman Jason Chaffetz which allows the U.S. Forest Service to sell 80 acres to the school at fair market value. Three other lawmakers, including a non-voting member from American Samoa, who are also BYU alumni co-sponsored the bill. There was no opposition in the House and the Senate will now be asked to approve a version of the bill introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch and co-sponsored by Senator Mike Lee. BYU already owns the lower half of the trail that leads to the concrete "Y".

>>Governor Candidate Cooke Encourages Volunteerism

(Undated) -- Democratic governor candidate Peter Cooke is proposing a pair of policies to encourage young Utahns to serve their communities. Cooke wants school districts to give high school students credit toward graduation if they take part in a service learning program. The Democratic candidate also wants to create a program to help college graduates pay off their students loans if they perform volunteer service in their communities. Cooke announced the policy proposals in a news conference at This Is the Place Monument yesterday.