>>SLC Will Bid To Host 2026 Winter Olympics

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- In a news conference yesterday, Utah Governor Gary Herbert said Salt Lake City is ready, willing and able to host the 2026 Winter Olympics. A state Olympic Exploratory Committee recommended Utah enter the bid race after analyzing the cost involved. The 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City brought in five-billion dollars to the state economy. The U.S. Olympic Committee has not yet said whether it will accept an American bid for the 2026 games.

>>Utes To Honor Coach Rick Majerus

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Athletic officials at University of Utah announced plans yesterday to add former men’s basketball coach Rick Majerus [[ muh-JARE-us ]] to the Crimson Club Hall of Fame – and to retire his famous sweater. Majerus died on Saturday from heart failure at the age of 64. He coached the Utes from 1989 to 2004 and led them to four sweet sixteen appearances, as well as an appearance in the 1998 national championship game, where they lost to Kentucky. Majerus will be honored tomorrow at the Utes home game.

>>Former Principal Arrested For Sexually Abusing Students

(Midway, UT) -- The former principal of the Soldier Hollow Charter School in Midway was arrested Monday for sexually abusing several male students over the past 35 years. Sixty-five-year-old Charles Edward Weber admitted to the abuse, including that of a 15-year-old boy earlier this year. Multiple victims have come forward and contributed to the FBI investigation. Weber was reportedly fired from the charter school last year.

>>Give the Gov. A Raise, Says Committee

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- An independent commission has recommended that Utah Governor Gary Herbert, along with other state officials receive a 36-point-five-percent pay raise. Roger Tew, chairman of the Utah Elected Official and Judicial Compensation Committee, said he believed salaries for elected officials should be high enough that candidates need not be independently wealthy to run for office. Regardless of the committee’s recommendations, the Utah legislature will have to pass a bill to raise the salaries.

>>Brigham City Mayor Apologizes For Affair
(Brigham City, UT) -- Brigham City Mayor Dennis Fife issued a letter to constituents yesterday, apologizing for an extra-marital affair he had while counseling a member of the Mormon Church. Fife served as a bishop in the church before becoming mayor and said he was guilty of indiscretions with a woman he was counseling during that time. Some members of the Brigham City council have advocated for Fife’s resignation, but he plans to remain in office, according to his letter.
EDEN, Utah — The uber-collective of young entrepreneurs known as “Summit Series” has purchased Powder Mountain to become its new headquarters, the group announced on Monday.
“Our vision is to create an epicenter of innovation around a residential community on the southern side of Powder Mountain,” Summit Series founder Elliot Bisnow said in a statement posted on the group’s website. “The Ogden Valley has enormous natural gifts and Powder Mountain is iconic and capable of summoning the imagination of the most innovative people in business, non-profits, academia and the arts.”The Summit Series has also taken over management of the Powder Mountain ski resort, which will remain open to the public.

>>Suspicious Package Ends Up Being Harmless

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Investigators are saying a suspicious package discovered at the Salt Lake City airport was harmless. Officials say an airport worker found an envelope with a powder substance taped to a part of a plane at about 5:30 this morning. No other flights were affected by the investigation.

>>Firm Will Analyze Impact Of Preservation On Economy

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- It's possible Utahns will soon find out about the costs and benefits of historic preservation. The "Salt Lake Tribune" reports some people think historic buildings attract people and economic activity. Others say revamping old structures doesn't make financial sense. The non-profit Utah Heritage Foundation hired consulting firm PlaceEconomics to analyze Utah's economy, taking into account preservation.

(Salt Lake/Washington DC)
If Congress and the president go plunging off the so-called “fiscal cliff” at month’s end, they could take Utah’s state budget along for the ride.
“It really is kind of unconscionable that they wouldn’t come together and find a resolution to this,” Gov. Gary Herbert said in an interview Monday.
Legislative analysts forecast a spike in federal taxes could dry up disposable income and, combined with a drop in federal spending, might drain more than half a billion dollars from state revenues and plunge Utah back into recession.
Herbert heads to Washington on Tuesday, one of several governors meeting with President Barack Obama, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and he said he plans to deliver the message that Congress needs to make a deal and avert the crisis.
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