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KNEU 1250On January 31st, the Altamont community, joined by others, came together for a raffle and dinner fundraiser in support of local high school student Evee Jessen. What had started out as a small ailment for Evee had quickly become a deadly septic infection and a stack of medical bills, prompting the fundraiser event on January 31st.
On Tuesday, Governor Gary Herbert signed S.B. 103 into law. Entitled Victim Targeting Penalty Enhancements, the bill allows a harsher penalty of those that are found guilty of a hate crime. The bill states that criminal offenses against victims that were selected because of certain personal abilities will have enhanced penalties, while still maintaining an individual’s constitutional right of free speech.
Several canal projects are underway in Uintah County. Uintah Water Conservancy District General Manager William Merkley provided a general update on the projects and their progress during the NewsTalk KVEL Monday radio forum.
DWR biologists have shared their recommendations for the 2019 big game hunts and public feedback is requested. “There is always an opportunity versus quality debate when it comes to managing wildlife,” shares big game coordinator Covy Jones, “but for us, biology and the health of the herd always come first. As a result, plans are an essential part of effective wildlife management.”
Uintah High School has created a special space for students and faculty to relax on campus and enjoy entertainment and goodies. Inspired by a famous coffee shop, the Starbooks Cafe opened recently in the school’s media center, offering live music, hot chocolate, and donuts.
Vernal will host a rare visitor this month and the entire community is invited to take part. The BYU-Idaho Symphony Band from Rexburg, Idaho travels all over the world to perform and this month their tour includes a stop in Vernal as well as other cities in the region including Price and Rock Springs.
The BLM-Utah quarterly oil and gas lease sale took place last week in Salt Lake City, netting over $7 million dollars. According to a BLM press release, the sale resulted in competitive bids for 90 of 111 parcels offered. “Crescent Point Energy, of Denver, Colorado, submitted the highest total bid per acre —$15,091 — for parcel 405 in the Vernal Field office area,” shares the BLM.
Repairs to the Steinaker dam are on schedule and it’s expected the reservoir will begin to be refilled next fall. According to Uintah Water Conservancy District General Manager William Merkley, much of the work to the dam has been complete and the plan is to start trucking fill back in next week.
The spring burn window for Uintah County is now open. According to the Uintah Fire District, the burn window opened on March 30th and runs through May 30th. Burning instructions include the following: refuse cleared away from buildings and structures, burn away from power and utility lines, have a water supply available, tend the fire at all times, fires must be out by dusk, no piles larger than 4 foot by 5 foot or greater than 3 feet high, and burn during light or NO wind conditions.
There have been and will be several special events for locals looking forward to the Easter season. A multi-faith choir and orchestra performed the Lamb of God, a christian Easter oratorio by Rob Gardner, to a standing room only audience at the Roosevelt Junior High auditorium on Sunday evening. The feedback from locals in attendance was that this free event was “incredible”, “amazing”, and “phenomenal”, with many requesting it become an annual tradition.
The effort of local leaders has paid off in returning homeless shelter funding to rural shelters. HB 203 ‘Homeless Shelter Funding Revisions’, sponsored by Representative Scott Chew and in the Senate by Senator Ron Winterton, was signed into law by Governor Herbert enabling the state definition of a “homeless shelter” to allow for a lower bed count so rural areas qualify for the funding. The bill was approved unanimously in the House and Senate committees as well as on the House and Senate floors. Vernal City Manager Quinn Bennion explains how this change repairs the previous oversight of state law. “The bill reduced the number of beds required in rural county shelters to be eligible for homeless funding,” shares Bennion. “The bill removes the requirement that Vernal City pay $18,200 a year to the State homeless mitigation fund.” That funding now stays local and instead will stay with Vernal’s Turning Point Shelter. Any rural area with a homeless shelter will also benefit. In addition to the work of Rep. Chew and Senator Winterton, Uintah County Commissioner Brad Horrocks, Vernal City Mayor Doug Hammond, City Manager Quinn Bennion, and Turning Point Shelter director Susi Anderson were involved in promoting and testifying for the bill during the 2019 legislative session.
The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety has released the numbers relevant to mining in western Colorado for 2018. According to the summary provided on mining.state.co.us, approximately 1.4 million tons of coal was produced at the Colowyo Coal Mine in 2018.