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KNEU 1250The Uintah School District has announced the appointment of a new business administrator to replace Scott Ruppe who resigned from the district, effective at the end of December. In a press release issued Wednesday morning, the Uintah School District announced that, pending board approval, Jason Johnson has been appointed to the business administrator position.
Unfortunately, there are a few Grinches lurking about during the holiday season. Vernal City Assistant Police Chief Keith Campbell confirms that every year holiday package theft is a local problem but that doesn't mean you should be a willing victim. “If you are expecting a package, watch for it and take it inside as soon as possible,” shares Campbell. “If you are unable to do so have a neighbor, friend, or family member watch for the package. If packages are taken inside and are out of sight it will reduce temptation and availability for thieves.” But what if you do fall victim? “If you discover you are missing a package,” says Campbell, “attempt to track it. If it has been delivered and is missing, immediately report it to Central Dispatch at 435-789-4222 or law enforcement.”
The Roosevelt City Fire Department had an extra special reason to celebrate at their annual Christmas party held Monday night. The event took the time to recognize five firefighters who have 100 Years of Service shared between them. Kendall Murphy and Lee Rockwood have both given 30 years of service. Ron Winn has given 25 years of service. Ryan Kunz has given 10 years of service and Sven Nelson has given 5 years of service. Roosevelt City took the time on their Facebook page to recognize these amazing men and publicly thank them for their service.
The Uintah Basin has some very talented individuals that often stay out of the limelight. There are, however, some individuals whose talents will soon gain a wide audience whether they like the attention or not. Uintah County Sheriff’s Deputy Amy Leishman and her K9 partner Riddick will be competing in the A&E Network series “America’s Top Dog.” The duo will compete nose-to-nose against top police K9’s and civilian dogs (plus their handlers) in the ultimate K9 obstacle course. “America’s Top Dog” is from MGM’s Big Fish Entertainment and will premiere on January 8th at 9pm Eastern Time on A&E. Show your support for Amy and Riddick by tuning in to watch this talented duo show the nation what they can do.
For 15 years now the Moon family of Jensen has generously shared their talents with the Uintah Basin through the creation of epic gingerbread displays and this year’s creation is now on display. Some of themes considered were Never Ending Story, Princess Bride and Alice in Wonderland but in the end the Moon family settled on ‘The Hobbit: There and Back Again.’ The final creation has around 80 pounds of dough and took the whole month of November to complete. Such a creation isn’t without its frustration. Stephen Moon relates how he had finished making all the trees for the Out of the Frying Pan scene when screams, crashes, and a very scared cat left all the trees reduced to shards.
In an effort to bring “Art For Every Season” the Duchesne Arts Council sponsors events for each season of the year. Winter brings the joy of Christmas and the glow of the holiday season and is the perfect setting for the Winter Art Festival this Thursday, December 5th. There is a free kids craft and some treats that start at 4pm and will go until 5:30pm. At 5:30pm, the Duchesne Community Orchestra and other local musicians will hold a free concert and a Christmas sing along. For those that want to be part of the final event you will need to purchase tickets.
Even though the intense snowstorms missed much of the Uintah Basin over the Thanksgiving holiday we are definitely heading into winter and that means winter travel conditions. Uintah County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public that when facing winter driving conditions individuals need to change the way that they drive. Drive slower than posted speeds, leave extra room between vehicles around your vehicle, and be sure to avoid cruise control, braking quickly and taking sharp turns. Do not crowd the plows on the road, give them plenty of room to work. Another key component is to stay alert to weather and road conditions as they will change rapidly. Finally, it is a good idea to keep your gas tank at least half full and to have a winter safety kit in the car.
It truly was a magical and generous evening at the Trees For Charity Auction Gala at the Uintah Conference Center on Monday night. Local inspiration Braxten Nielsen worked the crowd as the auctioneer to sell 41 trees to the highest bidders, the night’s total reaching $233,300 dollars! The ‘Healing With Harmony’ Tree to benefit Cindy Hadlock was purchased and rebid several times, receiving bids totalling $31,400 dollars. A special Hunt and Mount auction to benefit Cindy also received $3,500 dollars for a grand total of $34,900 dollars. Cindy is a mother to young children and was recently diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer.
Roosevelt City announced last week that the new runway at the Roosevelt Municipal Airport has officially reopened. The airport closed in July as work got underway to overhaul the runway and for construction of a new parallel taxiway which will be complete next spring. The airport has reopened for flights having been inspected and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. “This gets us to where Vernal was before their latest update,” shares City Manager Ryan Snow. “It doesn’t get us to the level of providing regional service, and we’re not aiming for that. We’re still a step behind them, but this will be a significant upgrade for us.”
While it is no surprise that Holly Days attracts visitors from outside the area, it can be surprising sometimes to learn just how far some have traveled. Vernal City Manager Quinn Bennion provided a summary of this year’s event including the news that the crowds included guests from as far away as Australia! An estimated 8,000 people enjoyed the days festivities and roughly $20,000 dollars worth of gifts were given away between the prize give-away, Bingo, cash machine, and game show. “There was a great response to the new events this year – archery tag, laser tag, the video game trailer and other games,” shares Bennion.
Christmas has many great traditions that bring families and friends together and the 3rd Annual Naples City Christmas Tree Lighting happening tonight is a growing favorite. Mayor Dean Baker hosts the tree lighting at the Naples City Plaza Park each year with tons of fun and this year crowds can expect a few surprises added to the mix. While of course there will be the traditional serenading by the elementary choirs as well as Santa arriving in style, Naples City will also be unveiling a new guest whose home will be in the Naples City road side park.
An extra oversized load successfully traveled through the Uintah Basin over the weekend escorted by local law enforcement. The load, a nuclear steam generator with a transport size of approximately 23 feet wide and 400 feet long, spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Dinosaur, Colorado as its travel was restricted on the 27th and 28th. On Friday morning, the impressive caravan and massive load attracted attention as it passed through Vernal on Highway 40. Taking their cues from the weather, the load made its way to just east of Duchesne where it stopped and stayed through Saturday.