Thursday, October 10, 2013

Monticello- Late yesterday, The San Juan County Commission passed a resolution to provide County employees and resources to be made available should the County Commissions determine to open federally closed National Parks, monuments and recreational areas.
San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman says local officials will open natural bridges, boat ramps at Lake Powell, Canyonlands and Hovenweep. In an overnight facebook posting, San Juan COunty Commissioner Phil Lyman asks:

WHAT CAN CITIZENS DO TO HELP? He posted the Federal law that the National Park Service has implied the county officials would be breaking if they try to enter the parks against their will. The Law is called "interfering with Agency Functions and prohibits Threatening, resisting, intimidating, or intentionally interfering with a government employee or agent engaged in an official duty, or on account of the performance of an official duty. And appl;ies to all Federal lands, regardless of ownership or location. Lyman says,

I have made a number of calls to the park service letting them know of our plans. I did not want to be "Threatening, resisting, or intimidating." I did not want to surprise any federal employees. As far as intentionally interfering with a government agent in the official performance of their duty, I believe that the same would apply to the Park Service Employees interfering with a Commissioner in the official performance of his duty.
I am going to be at Natural Bridges at 8:30 AM on Thursday. I do not plan to remove the barrier, but I would like to be able to drive into the park on a road that is a "public highway." I won't force the issue, and I do not encourage anyone else to act in an intimidating or threatening manner. Lyman adds:
Over the past few days, I have confirmed what I already knew, which is that Citizens of San Juan County have an unusually high regard for liberty. They are intelligent and courageous in defense of freedom. It is an honor to associate with such true patriots. For a community that has been so mistreated by the federal agencies, I am amazed at the deference they show to federal laws, even those that are clearly contrary to the sensibilities of free people.

>>Senator To Defy Shutdown, Enter Closed Zion Park

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Utah Senator Steve Urquhart says he's seen enough from the federal shutdown. So the Republican from Saint George has issued an open invitation to join him Saturday at Zion National Park even though the federal property is temporarily closed because of the shutdown. Urquhart says his actions are not designed to be hostile but rather a reminder to the feds that it's the public's First Amendment right to use the nation's parks and monuments. Urquhart says he doesn't want to be arrested for trespassing but he is ready if he is.

>>Governor Offers Help For State Parks

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- The governor says he's willing to lend a hand for Utah's five national-park properties. Gary Herbert said he's offered the feds a loan from the state's rainy-day fund.

{HerbertStateParks_1} Q...it's critical now 000:09

Herbert said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is receptive to the idea. However, release of the funds requires legislative approval.

>>Thousands Of Utahns File For Unemployment

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- The federal shutdown is causing a spike in new jobless claims in Utah. The "Tribune" is reporting thousands of federal workers on furlough filed for Utah unemployment insurance this week because of the shutdown. The sudden spike sent claims to more than three-times the normal rate for Utah. During the first week of October seven-thousand jobless claims were filed in Utah, of which 45-hundred were federal workers.

>>Two Utahns Ties To Foster Farms Salmonella Event

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Utah health officials say they've identified at least two people from their state connected to the national salmonella outbreak. Officials say the cases were first reported back in April and May and it remains unknown where the people picked up the bacterial strain. National health officials say 300 people from 18 states have been infected with salmonella during the current outbreak that's tied to raw chicken sold by Fosters Farms. Nearly 80-percent of the cases have come from California.


>>Poll: Lee Needs To Compromise With Obama

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- Utah Senator Mike Lee isn't getting a whole lot of love from a new poll. A newly-released survey by the BYU Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy finds 57-percent of Utahns disapprove of Lee's position on de-funding the Affordable Care Act. According to the "Tribune" the majority of those surveyed think Lee needs to compromise with President Obama on the federal budget. Lee has been an outspoken critic of health care overhaul and was among the lawmakers who helped bring the budget impasse that's currently behind the shutdown.

>>Man In Jail For Attempted Murder Allegation

(Cedar City, UT) -- A Cedar City man is under arrest as police investigate his alleged attempt to murder. The "Tribune" says the man is accused of inflicting critical injuries when he kicked the victim. The man then attacked police by trying to kick and head butt the officers. The victim has since been flown to a hospital in Las Vegas with critical injuries.

>>Prison Committee Tabs Florida Consulting Firm

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- The Utah prison relocation committee says it's picked a consultant to help plan its future and current needs. The board has selected the Florida-based firm MGT of America to be its master planning and programming consultant. The Relocation and Development Authority has already authorized spending 500-thousand dollars to hire an advisor.


>>Man Sought For Alleged Abduction Attempt

(South Salt Lake, UT) -- An alleged abduction attempt is under investigation in South Salt Lake. Authorities say a 12-year-old girl has come forward claiming a man tried to take her last night. The alleged incident happened near 28-hundred South and 500 East. The man is described by police as having a medium build and average height with shoulder-length hair and he was reportedly wearing jeans and a dark-colored jacket.

>>Orem Firm Gets Contract To Electrify Vehicles

(Orem, UT) -- A small Utah firm will be awarded a 20-million-dollar contract to put more electric vehicles on the road. VIA Motors in Orem has been contracted to convert typical fuel-injected vans, trucks and S-U-Vs into electric ones, complete with electric motors and generators. KSL-TV says once VIA's vehicles are "electrified" they can get up to 40-miles on a single charge before a gas engine takes over.

No comments:

Post a Comment