(Moab Utah)- The Moab Times Independent Reorts this week that Kens Lake is essentially empty. The Grand Water and Sewer Service Agency has informed irrigation water users that, due to low water levels in Ken’s Lake, the start of the irrigation water season is likely to be delayed even further, possibly as late as April 22.
The Ken’s Lake reservoir had a measured level of 368 acre-feet as of March 19, only slightly up from a month ago and still far below the average of 1,300 acre-feet typically found in March. The lake’s current levels are the lowest ever on record for March. Spring runoff is expected to below normal. The GWSSA board, which discussed the issue at its March 21 meeting, is scheduled to address the topic again at its next regular meeting, scheduled for Thursday, April 4, at 7 p.m., at the GWSSA office, 3025 E. Spanish Trail Road.

　

>>Student Pilot OK After Crash In Provo

(Provo, UT) -- A student pilot flying at Provo Airport is alive after he escapes a crash unscathed. Provo authorities say the student was flying a single-engine plane yesterday when he crashed while approaching the runway. The wing of the plane touched the ground which made the plane spin around. The pilot walked away.

>>U-T-A Finishing Crossing Changes

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Utah Transit Authority is making major changes to improve train crossing safety in light of the TRAX accident that killed a West Jordan teen two years ago. U-T-A is about halfway finished with upgrading all 160 crossings. The new crossing signals are designed to grab a person's attention -- even those distracted by cell phones -- by putting up a fence in their direct walking path, which forces users to see the tracks.

>>Man Rammed By Bison Speaks Out

(Antelope Island, UT) -- A Colorado man pinned against a fence by a wild bison in Antelope Island says he's not the thrill-seeker everyone thinks. KSL-TV caught up with Ty Draper, who says he was actually trying to protect the runners in the Buffalo Run. He says the bison suddenly ventured into the path of the entrants. Some early reports suggested Draper had provoked the bison.

>>Rally Held In Opposition Of Water Deal

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Utahns are speaking out against the Snake Valley water deal with the state of Nevada. Utah Governor Gary Herbert says he'll decide by Monday whether to sign-off on the deal to equally divide the water in the aquifer along the Utah-Nevada border. Protesters rallied last night and said the plan will hurt Snake Valley agriculture as well as local air quality.

>>Family Builds Love For Sick Kids

(South Weber, UT) -- A family from South Weber is trying to do a nice thing for kids with leukemia. The Coopers says they'll use the proceeds from sales of homemade sugar cookies to buy Lego bricks for ailing children. They planned to use money from a bake sale last night to buy the toys for young leukemia patients at Primary Children's Medical Center.

>>Gun Activist's Assault Rifle Stolen

(Cottonwood Heights, UT) -- No clues yet in the theft of an assault rifle from a gun activist. Cottonwood Heights Police Sergeant Scott Peck says Wednesday night, thieves broke into Clark Aposhian's [[ uh-PO-shee-un's ]] car.

{UTStolenRifle} Q...one out there :04.2

Aposhian chairs the Utah Shooting Sports Council.


>>Bill Will Allow Study Of Draper Prison move

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- A new bill is signed into law by Governor Herbert that will study the proposed relocation of Draper prison. The bill establishes a board of officials and funds of one-point-seven-million dollars to conduct cost-benefit and environmental studies. The board will also investigate the best options for using the prime real estate in Draper should the prison move elsewhere.

>>Pedestrian Grandmother Killed

(Brigham City, UT) -- A woman in Brigham City is killed while walking with her three grandkids. Police say the woman died when a car slid out of control and into her near Main and 700 South yesterday. Police say the car in question had just been involved in an accident. The victim was treated but was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

>>Flooding Under Repair At Murdock Canal

(Pleasant Grove, UT) -- Pleasant Grove officials are working to repair damages after a flood at Murdock Canal. A least two homes were affected by water that escaped from a portion of the canal which was just finished near 28-hundred North. An official with Provo River Water Users Association said the flooding was from a hatch that wasn't properly secured.

>>Four-Year-Old Kidnapped Boy Is Safe

(Tooele, UT) -- A four-year-old boy is home safe with his mother, after a harrowing ordeal. Tooele Police Lieutenant Paul Wimmer say a woman called 9-1-1, claiming her son was taken by two acquaintances of hers.

{Wimmer1} Q...her will. :15

Fortunately, police tracked down the pair yesterday morning and arrested Shawn Bergeron and Stephanie Goff. Investigators are still trying to piece together what lead to the kidnapping and say they will probably book Bergeron into jail.


SALT LAKE CITY – A coalition of people protested a proposed pact that would allow Nevada to take 40 billion gallons of water annually from Utah’s Snake Valley.The groups say the proposed water mining project to accommodate anticipated growth in Las Vegas will devastate farming and ranching in Utah’s border communities.They say it will also cause a long-term ecological disaster that will impact public health, agriculture, recreation and the economy for decades Governor Herbert will decide whether he’d like to sign that pact allowing Nevada to take the water by Monday. He said Thursday that he is still studying the issue.

>>Utah Man Dies Using Swing At Corona Arch

(Moab, UT) -- A man from West Jordan dies in an accident involving a giant rope swing at Corona Arch. Authorities say 22-year-old Kyle Stocking was killed Sunday when he and several friends tried to set up a rope to swing across the famous Utah landmark. Thad James, president of Utah High Adventures, says it was an accident waiting to happen.

{UTArchAccident} Q...go into this :07.6

The Grand County Sheriff's Office says Stocking -- an experienced rock climber -- fell almost 130 feet.


>>Romney To Host Retreat In Deer Valley

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Mitt Romney isn't finished with trying to make a difference in Washington, DC just yet. The former Republican Presidential candidate will host a retreat this summer in Deer Valley where he'll bring together rich donors and potential G-O-P contenders for President. One possible Republican candidate for the 2016 election is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

>>Survey Says Area Scouts Want Ban On Gays

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Officials with Salt Lake City-area Boy Scouts say a large number of its members want the national group's ban on gays to continue. That's according to a new survey sent to Scout leaders, volunteers, parents and even Scouts over the age of 18. The survey revealed that more than 80-percent of the Great Salt Lake Council wish the ban will continue.


>>Scavenger Hunt Accidentally Turns Into Bomb Scare At LDS Temple

(St. George, UT) -- As it turns out, a bomb scare at an LDS Temple was nothing more than one man's attempt to get a date. Police in St. George were called out to the LDS Temple Saturday evening after somebody found a package with the word "Army" written on it. A man later came forward and admitted the box was part of a treasure hunt for his girlfriend. The box had candy inside it and a note asking her to go to a dance.



>>Gay Marriage Supporters Rally

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Utah's gay-marriage supporters gathered at Library Square last night, in anticipation of today's U.S. Supreme Court hearing. Valerie Larabee with the Utah Pride Center was one of them.

{UTGayMarriage} Q...will see this :06.1

The high court will hear oral arguments today in the Proposition 8 case, which is the California statute that bans gay marriage. Tomorrow are oral arguments in a case challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act.


BOUNTIFUL, Utah — A man is in critical condition after an empty barrel he was cutting exploded. Deputy Chief Jeff Bassett, South Davis Metro Fire District, said the 60-year-old male was using a welding torch to cut holes in an empty 55-gallon drum near 500 North and 660 West. Shortly after 2 p.m. an unknown fume ignited and the drum blew up. Pieces of the drum struck the man in the head.

SALT LAKE CITY — Led by Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, 72 senators and representatives formally asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Monday to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act. The request in a letter sent to the agency argues that the gray wolf is no longer an endangered species and that uncontrolled gray wolf population growth is a threat to other indigenous wildlife as well as the hunting and ranching industries.


Unified Fire Authority crews quickly doused a two-alarm blaze inside a Taylorsville condominium unit late Monday morning. UFA Capt. Clint Mecham said no injuries were reported and damage from the 8:15 a.m. fire at 1175 W. 4515 South was primarily limited to smoke and water.Mecham said that when firefighters arrived and saw smoke coming from the unit, they called a second alarm due to the blaze’s location in a multi-resident structure.Crews used a thermal imaging camera to locate the source of the fire, found to be inside a wall in the ground-floor unit. Firefighters opened the wall and extinguished the flames. At that point, the second alarm was cancelled.

(Moab Utah) Each year in March Jeep and Chrysler’s parts and accessories arm Mopar team up to host the Moab Easter Jeep Safari event in Utah. In recent years this event has become way more than just a fun off-road course for Jeep enthusiasts, as they are using the venue to showcase the latest concepts and design studies they are working on. The 2013 line up of concept Jeeps coming to the Moab event include six vehicles, including these two showcased here as a teaser, Jeep Grand Cherokee "Trailhawk II" concept and the Jeep Wrangler "Slim".Not all of the vehicles coming to Moab have a chance of becoming a production model. Most of them are in fact wild flights of fancy. But over the years we have seen some amazing special editions of the Wrangler and Cherokee inspired by Moab concepts. That is what makes this event important.

(Moab Utah/Telluride Colorado)

The U.S. Department of Energy has released a draft environmental impact statement in favor of continuing its uranium leasing program and plans a series of April public hearings on the issue across the Western Slope.
The federal program, which leases land to mining companies, was revived in 2008 in the Uravan Mineral Belt, with 31 leases awarded or renewed for mining-related activities over 25,000 acres between Naturita and Moab, Utah.
Legal challenges followed challenging the DOE’s leasing policy, urging a more in-depth analysis.
In October 2011, a federal judge ordered the DOE to stop uranium exploration in the area
The ruling also halted the DOE from further mining-related activities and issuing any new leases until a more thorough environmental analysis was undertaken.
In March 2012, a federal judge issued a new ruling, allowing the DOE to proceed with a detailed environmental review. That review, one year in the making, is now available for review at ulpeis.anl.gov.
The DOE will accept comments on the draft review during a 60-day public comment period, which began March 15. Other public hearings will take place April 22 at Colorado Mesa University, April 23 at the Johnson Elementary School in Montrose and April 25 at the school in Naturita. All of the meetings are from 6:30-9 p.m.

-0-

>>Mormon Females Could Make History Next Month

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Next month's General Conference of Mormons is about to make history. The "Tribune" says for the first time in more than 180-years females will be offering invocations or benedictions. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the church wouldn't confirm or deny the report.

>>Ex-Sheriff's Official Charged With Evidence Theft

(Carbon County, UT) -- A former sergeant with the Carbon County Sheriff's office faces charges in connection with stolen evidence. Christopher Basso is accused of stealing methamphetamine from a Sheriff's evidence room back in January. Basso's charges include burglary, drug possession and evidence tampering.

>>Utah Valley Reveals Plans For Campus Addition

(Orem, UT) -- Officials with Utah Valley University plan to go forth with a 50-million-dollar campus addition. The school revealed its plans yesterday for the new classroom facility complete with study rooms and a thousand-seat auditorium. Ground should break sometime this summer.

>>Pilot Unharmed In Crash

(Woods Cross, UT) -- A pilot walked away from his small plane Monday after crashing near a Woods Cross airport. Andre Kostrzewa [[ KO-shuh-vuh ]], a Salt Lake City resident, says he approached Skypark Airport a bit too low.

{UTPlaneCrash} Q...and I stop :04.8

The Federal Aviation Administration is conducting an investigation into the accident's cause.

>>Salt Lake Father-Son Withdraw From T-V Show

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- The Salt Lake City-area father-son tandem taking part in T-Vs "Amazing Race" is no longer in the competition. Dave and Connor O'Leary withdrew from the race over the weekend. The reason given for their decision was due to a doctor's suggestion that Dave O'Leary have surgery to repair his injured leg.



>>Robbed Girl Scouts Get Invite To Sell At Taylorsville City Hall

(Taylorsville, UT) -- The Girl Scouts who were robbed while selling cookies in front of a Walmart are being offered the chance to sell cookies at Taylorsville City Hall. The mayor is inviting them to stop by for three hours next Saturday and sell whatever they can. Meanwhile, police believe they're getting closer to the man who grabbed the girls' cash box over the weekend. Unified Police say they have a good description of him and his getaway car.

>>Sugar House Neighbors Deal With Sewage Overflowing Into Their Homes

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Raw sewage is being cleaned out of more than one dozen homes in Sugar House, and neighbors are worried about the cost. KSTU-TV reports the sewage began to seep into at least 15 homes over the weekend. One man thinks he'll need 20-thousand dollars in repairs before he can move back in. Neighbors also pointed out that many home insurance policies specifically don't cover sewage backups. They can make claims with the city, but are worried about how long that will take.

>>City Creek Center Approaching One Year Anniversary

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- City Creek Center will celebrate its one year anniversary on Friday. The mall's general manager wouldn't reveal specific numbers to the "Salt Lake Tribune" but says there isn't much space left and sales numbers have exceeded her expectations. The mall has taken business away from other shopping centers. The Gateway lost 16 stores to City Creek, which is said to be 98-percent occupied right now. gATEWAY IS NOW PLANNING A 2 MILLION DOLLAR UPGRADE.

SALT LAKE CITY – Employees at the Utah Republican Party’s headquarters were greeted by graffiti on Monday morning.A party spokesperson believe the graffiti, which says "No tar sands," happened over the weekend and they don’t know who did it.He says this is the second time the building has been vandalized in the last month, and they haven’t filed a police report.On Monday morning, the party tweeted a photo along with, "Disappointed to see graffiti on the UTGOP HQ. What American politics needs most is civility, not this. #utpol"

Washington • Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love says she’s considering a rematch against Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson, whom she lost to in November by just over 700 votes."We’re seriously looking at it again," Love told The Salt Lake Tribune in an interview before her appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington. Americans’ "struggles haven’t gotten any better, the environment in Washington hasn’t gotten any better. ... We need people who are going to be leaders, people who are going to do something about it." love was considered a rising Republican star last year, earning a speaking role at the party’s national convention.

　

Firefighters rushed to the scene of a two-alarm blaze early Monday morning at a northeast aVENUES Salt Lake City home and rescued its elderly owner.The Salt Lake City Fire Department confirmed Monday afternoon that the fire was electrical and was caused by heat tape on the roof. The 5:30 a.m. fire at about a mile from the University of Utah campus, took about an hour to control. Department spokesman Jasen Asay said the location of the home, up a steep driveway, meant crews had to unroll nearly 1,000 feet of hose.Firefighters helped the house’s owner, who is in his 90s, escape as flames began shooting from the roof. Asay said firefighters then reentered the home to get the homeowner a robe and shoes to wear. The man stayed inside a fire engine until his relatives arrived.A loss estimate was still being assessed, but Asay said damage was limited to the attic and roofing.

　

　

　




　

>>Murder Suspect Arrested, Charged

(West Valley City, UT) -- A suspect wanted for a deadly shooting in West Valley City is under arrest. Police say Roberto Romero was arrested on charges of suspicion of murdering his roommate last Sunday night. Police wouldn't say where Romero was apprehended yesterday.

>>Utah Officials Hire Attorneys To Investigate

(Undated) -- Officials at the University of Utah appoint two investigators to look into allegations of misconduct by a former coach. Swim coach Greg Winslow is accused by students and parents of misconduct although the school won't comment on specifics. University President David Pershing said yesterday the school has hired Kansas City attorney Michael Glazier and Salt Lake City attorney Alan Sullivan to lead their investigation.

>>Utah Docs Get Paid By Drug Companies

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Utah doctors have raked in more than 25-million dollars since 2009 thanks to drug companies. The "Tribune" says those funds went to physicians statewide for everything from research to travel and entertainment. During that same time period, drug firms gave doctors around the country a total of two-billion dollars.

>>State Senate Stiffens Penalties For Selling Booze To Underage Drinkers

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Utah state lawmakers are taking another step toward stiffening the penalties for bartenders or servers who sell booze to underage drinkers. The Utah State Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill today and sent it to the House. Senator John Valentine claims teenagers who work in undercover stings get drinks nearly one-third of the time. The minimum fine for a first-time offender would be increased to 25-hundred dollars, with short liquor license suspensions beginning on the second offense.

>>Discrimination Bill Dies In Senate

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- A bill prohibiting housing and employment discrimination based on sexual orientation has failed. Utah senate president Wayne Niederhauser said there wasn't enough support.

{UTDiscriminationBill} Q...a lot of time :03.1

Sponsoring senator Steve Urquhart [[ ERK-hart ]] says he'll bring the bill back next year.


DRAPER, Utah — Draper police arrested two people Monday who allegedly hid razor blades inside doughnuts, ate them, fed them to a co-worker and then tried to make an injury claim against the store where they purchased them.The two alleged scammers, 39-year-old Carrol Leazer and 35-year-old Michael Conder, purchased the doughnuts at a Smith’s store in Draper on March 6, according to a news release from the Draper Police Department. The two reportedly broke razor blades into small pieces and ate them along with the doughnuts.

SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that would change how local distilleries can distribute their products has brewers upset.Senate Bill 248 is moving toward a vote, and the legislation would require local distilleries to use a distributor instead of selling their product’s themselves.

(Salt Lake)-Despite arguments that it would rob rich school districts to help poorer ones, the Senate passed a bill Monday that aims to make school funding more equal across the state. he bill now goes to the Utah house.The bill would freeze a state property tax rate — known as the basic rate — that normally decreases as property values rise. That would mean more money collected by the state, then equally distributed to schools as property values rise over time. School districts would then be required to lower one of their local property tax rates by the same amount to keep taxpayers from paying more money overall — unless they chose to hold truth-in-taxation hearings to keep their taxes steady.

(Salt Lake) Several hundred other teachers and parents, filled the Capitol rotunda Monday evening, to thank lawmakers for agreeing to increase base per pupil spending, known as the WPU, by 2 percent and fund another 13,500 students expected in Utah schools in the fall. Though the increases haven’t yet been finalized, legislative leaders have agreed upon them.

>>Church Leader Says Obama Plan In Line With LDS

(Washington, DC) -- A Mormon leader is saying President Obama's immigration reform plan is in line with the values of the faith. Dieter Uchtdorf is second counselor in the LDS Church's governing First Presidency. Uchtdorf and other faith leaders met with the President last week. The "Salt Lake Tribune" reports Uchtdorf says Obama said they "need to stand together" to make sure people can come to the U.S. without fear and "do it in a lawful way."

>>Lawmakers Consider Anti-Wolf Measure

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- The state budget is coming up for final votes soon and wolves are one of the topics. The Legislature's Executive Appropriations Committee gave its okay to spending 300-thousand dollars to keep wolves from being "reintroduced" in the state under the federal gray wolf recovery plan. However, the "Salt Lake Tribune" reports Senate Minority leader Gene Davis says "it seems like a waste" adding "the problem isn't even here."

>>Appliance Believed Cause Of Fire At Murray Lab

(Murray, UT) -- An overheated appliance is apparently at fault for a fire at a business in Murray. It happened Saturday at Chemtech-Ford Laboratories on Stratler Street. Nobody was hurt and there was no risk from chemicals.

>>Second Arrest In Triple Murder

(Murray, UT) -- A second arrest is made in connection with the recent triple murder in Murray. Davis Fotu was apprehend last night for questioning. He's the second man arrested for the February 12th homicide at what's been called by cops as a "known drug house." David Fresques already faces aggravated and attempted murder charges.

SALT LAKE CITY — Lawmakers are calling the 2013 Utah legislative session unusually calm, but both sides think that debate may heat up as the session ends on Thursday. Several gun rights bills and an anti-discrimination law will come up for a vote this week, and some say the measures could lead to controversy on the floor. There are two gun rights related bills up for a vote this week. A bill that would allow people to carry concealed weapons without a permit generated a lot of debate before it passed in the House of Representatives last week. It goes before the Senate this week. Another gun rights bill, The Second Amendment Preservation Act, asserts that state gun laws trump federal gun control laws.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah Senate has approved legislation to change the name of Utah State University-College of Eastern Utah to Utah State University Eastern.

The college, which was established in 1937, has campuses in Price and Blanding.

It was known as the College of Eastern Utah until 2010, when it merged with Utah State.

The school's Chancellor Joe Peterson says the school wanted a shorter name and the school is often referred to as Utah State University Eastern or USU Eastern.

The Senate approved the legislation unanimously Friday. It now moves to the House for consideration.

　

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah Gov. Gary Herbert is still waiting to decide whether to accept the federal government's offer to expand Medicaid, but a group of Utah lawmakers wants to let him know where they stand by passing a law prohibiting the expansion.

Republican lawmakers say the expansion offers a "false promise" of federal support.

Critics say the move is short-sighted and ignoring a detailed study of what's in the best interest for the state.

　

(Blanding Utah)

The City of Blanding is considering the improvement of land west of town near the Westwater Ruin. The hope is to restore the ruin, promote visitation and assist in the development of an archaeological program at the Utah State University (USU) campus in Blanding. The plans were discussed at the February 26 meeting of the Blanding City Council.

Approximately 160 acres of land in the southwest quadrant of the community has had various owners over the years. The land was initially acquired by the Utah Navajo Development Council. Ownership then migrated to the City and then slid to the San Juan Education Foundation. The city is considering resuming ownership and helping to restore the ruin with the help of the San Juan Heritage Foundation and USU.

The Westwater Ruin has fallen into disrepair but the city hopes that a restoration effort may be of great interest to residents and visitors alike. The area also includes a small natural bridge.

>>Prison Move Bill Gains Preliminary OK

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- A proposed bill to move Utah State Prison moves ahead. The bill that would move the prison from the 700-acres of land in Draper won preliminary approval yesterday from the Utah Senate. Studies show the move could make an economic impact of almost 20-billion-dollars over the next two decades.

>>Anti-Gay Discrimination Bill Loses L-D-S Support For Now

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- The L-D-S Church won't be supporting a legislative initiative in Utah to end housing and employment discrimination against gays and lesbians after all. The "Tribune" says the church had shown interest in backing a law if it could agree on how the bill would be framed. Utah Senator Steve Urquhart said he would proceed with the anti-discrimination bill that's patterned after the Salt Lake City ordinance.

>>Area Catholics Bid Adieu To Pope Benedict

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Salt Lake-area Catholics said goodbye to Pope Benedict the 16th yesterday. The "Tribune" says Catholic leaders in Utah appreciated Pope Benedict's evangelistic efforts, but they are looking forward to who will be voted the next pontiff. The 85-year-old Pope Benedict spent his last official day as the head of the church yesterday before his retirement.

>>Herriman City Council Votes 'No' On Gun Range

(Herriman, UT) -- City Councilors in Herriman vote not to approve a controversial gun range. The city ultimately sided with residents and turned down the proposed range along Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Residents have argued for months the planned 15-acre range would be too close to homes and schools.

>>Owl Migration Patterns Studied

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- The University of Utah is implementing a plan to attract and study migrating owls. Biology students spent yesterday installing special boxes at three locations on campus in hopes of attracting the Western screech owl. The nocturnal animals will begin migrating north to breed. The effort is courtesy of money provided through the Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund.


>>Open Carry Gun Bill Clears Utah House

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- A bill making it easier to openly carry a gun is headed off for Senate approval. House Bill 268 sailed through the House with a 54-12 vote. Under current law, anyone openly carrying a gun could be slapped with a disorderly conduct charge.

[[ note nature ]]

>>Utes Swim Coach Suspended For Sex Abuse Allegations

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- University of Utah head swim coach Greg Winslow is temporarily off the job due to sexual assault allegations. Utes AD Chris Hill announced Winslow is on indefinite suspension after the swimming blog Concussion Inc. wrote about the allegations. Winslow is accused of abusing someone in a locked coach's office at Arizona State University in 2005. He hasn't been charged with a crime and hasn't commented.



>>Hawaii Happiest State In U.S., West Virginia At Bottom

(Undated) -- If you're looking for happiness, head to Hawaii. For the fourth straight year, the Aloha State has claimed the top spot on a Gallup-Healthways poll of the "happiest" states in the union. Hawaii residents were most likely to rate their lives as "thriving" and scored high in categories such as emotional health. On the flip side, West Virginia was found to be the "least happy" of the 50 states. Utah is in the top five list of happy states.
Pollsters say residents in "happy" states exercised more, smoked less and tend to have higher incomes and lower unemployment.

　

SALT LAKE CITY – As the federal government goes into the uncharted territory known as "sequestration," it’s clear Utah will not be immune from the effects of severe budget cuts. Governor Gary Herbert turned a colorful phrase to describe what he feels like he predicted long ago."We always have said if we continue to do this it’s going to come back and bite us in the butt, and it’s butt-biting time right now," he said on Thursday. In Utah the cut efects could be felt at Hill Air Force Base and research progams at the University of Utah and utah State University.

TAYLORSVILLE — A man has been arrested after allegedly ramming three police cars before releasing his rottweiler to attack officers, who shot the dog in self-defense. Police responded to a call Thursday reporting an assault in Taylorsville in which a gun had possibly been involved. As officers were responding, they were advised the man allegedly involved in the assault had left the scene in a gray Dodge pickup truck that was possibly stolen. Unified Police Department officers saw the truck, folwed it, tried to stop it and it rammed three of their cars. Lt Justin Hoyal with Unified Poice says,

　

(Salt Lake City)- After hearing a litany of alleged abuses citizens have endured at the hands of federal employees, a legislative panel on Thursday advanced a bill that would ban federal employees from certain law enforcement duties. In a split vote, the House Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee endorsed HB155, sponsored by Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, which could literally handcuff U.S. Forest Service officers and Bureau of Land Management rangers if they try to pull someone over on a traffic violation. "We call this the sheriffs bill," Noel said. "I strongly believe our elected county sheriffs are the ones we look to for law enforcement on our private property and on state lands and federal lands."

Three southern Utah county sheriffs, described heavy-handed police tactics that they say have become common where ever BLM rangers and Forest Service officers patrol.