Posted: Thursday, July 2, 2009 12:20 am
Health officials: Swine flu cases easing in Utah
SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah health officials say the swine-flu outbreak in the state may have reached its peak -- at least for now.
The state Department of Health said Wednesday that 245 people have been hospitalized due to illness associated with the virus but no deaths have been reported in the last week.
Public health officials, though, say it's likely the spread of the virus will increase in the fall and winter.
Religious leaders decry Utah immigration law
SALT LAKE CITY -- Faith leaders are decrying a controversial immigration law and some demand for its repeal.
Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Protestant leaders gathered on Tuesday -- the day before Senate Bill 81 took effect -- to express solidarity with Utah's undocumented immigrants.
Among other things, the bill allows local police officers to enforce federal immigration law. Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has said participation in the enforcement provision is optional.
Rev. Steve Klemz, pastor at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Salt Lake City, says the bill is a symbol of a broken community.
Tiger muskies returning to Utah
SALT LAKE CITY -- Tiger muskies are returning to Utah.
The big fish with big fight haven't been stocked in Utah since 2005 because of concerns about aquatic diseases. But the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has disease-free tiger muskies that are being sent to Utah.
As many as 9,000 tiger muskies are scheduled to arrive in Utah on Wednesday. They'll be stocked in six Utah reservoirs.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources first introduced tiger muskies in 1988.
State officials say tiger muskies are a sterile, hatchery-produced hybrid that don't occur naturally anywhere in the world. They can grow to be more than 40 inches long and provide a sought-after challenge for freshwater anglers.
Utah buyers get housing grants
SALT LAKE CITY -- More than 1,650 grants have been issued to homebuyers in the first three months of a program designed to stimulate Utah's economy.
Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert says the program has been a successful early step in economic recovery.
According to the Utah Housing Corporation, the grants have led to home sales of $376.7 million, creating thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in wages.
Utah drivers urged to tie down their loads
MURRAY -- The family of a woman killed after she swerved to miss a box in traffic is urging drivers to keep debris off of Utah's highways.
In advance of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the Utah Department of Transportation launched a campaign on Tuesday to urge drivers to tie down their loads.
C.J. Frank, one of Meredith Deckard's three sons, says she was killed because someone didn't take the extra five minutes to secure their cargo.
Last December, Deckard swerved on Interstate 15 in Ogden to miss a box that fell off the back of a pickup truck. A tractor-trailer struck her car and she died weeks later after doctors removed life support.
UDOT Executive Director John Njord says too many people toss their gear carelessly in a pickup bed after a weekend of boating or other activities.