KDXU Up To The Minute News
Governor Likely to Veto Some Bills
Utah Governor Gary Herbert says he is likely to veto some of the bills passed by the state legislature this year. In an interview last night, Herbert said he plans to sign the hate crime bill passed by state lawmakers, calling it an historic event. He also plans to sign a bill that raises the alcohol level in beer sold in Utah from three-point-two to four-point-zero percent alcohol. The governor said he's still deciding whether to sign two bills restricting abortion.
Butterball Recall
Butterball LLC issued a voluntarily recall of more than 78,000 pounds of raw ground turkey products nationwide Thursday as Wisconsin health officials investigate four salmonella cases in the state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said the prepackaged ground turkey was produced on July 7, 2018, and the agency is worried some consumers may still have them in their freezers. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Utah's Republican Senators Vote Against Trump
Both of Utah's senators have joined a list of Republicans that will vote in favor of resolution to block the President Trump's national emergency declaration. In a prepared statement, Senator Mike Lee says "Congress has been giving far too much legislative power to the executive branch" for decades. In his own statement, Senator Mitt Romney calls the emergency declaration an example of overreach, where the President is eroding congressional authority to enact policy.
Feds Want Former San Juan County Commissioner to Pay More
Federal authorities are pushing to get a former San Juan County commission to pay more in restitution now that he is sitting in the Utah House of Representatives. A jury convicted Republican Representative Phil Lyman in 2016 of misdemeanor trespassing after he led an ATV protest ride in a canyon closed by the Bureau of Land Management. A federal judge ordered Lyman to pay 96-thousand dollars in restitution, and allowed him to pay one-hundred dollars a month.
Missing Man in Canyonlands
National Park Service officials are asking for you to keep an eye out of a missing man in Canyonlands National Park. Canyonlands National Park officials are looking for 33-year-old Jonathon Hogue. He’s described as a white man 5’10” tall and 180 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He has “Ninja Penguin” tattooed on his bicep. If you have information on his whereabouts, please contact authorities.
UDOT Budget Spent on Snow Removal
The Utah Department of Transportation will soon have to dip into its contingency funds to continue removing snow this season. During a meeting last night, UDOT officials say they have budgeted 24-point-one-million dollars for snow removal. Currently the agency has spent 24-million dollars of that sum due to the large amount of snow this winter. If UDOT starts using contingency funds for snow removal, it could delay other projects slated to begin this spring.
Second Wave of Flu
The CDC is warning about a second wave of the flu virus hitting several states, including Utah. Health officials say they have seen an increase of the H3N2 strain over the past few weeks. That strain of the virus is actually more potent than the more common strain. So far, more than 13-hundred people in Utah have been hospitalize for flu-related reasons during this season.