Utah State News Service

By Abby Bart  They roasted one another. They lauded each other. They shared embarrassing stories. And then they danced. Saturday brought the latest installment of the Provo City Library’s AuthorLink series, featuring New York Times best-selling young adult authors – and close friends – James Dashner, Brendan Reichs and Ally Condie in a raucously unconventional book reading, signing and panel discussion. The event was intended to promote Dashner’s “The Fever Code,” the final installment in his “The Maze Runner” series, and Reichs’ “Nemesis,” the debut novel in his new duology. It was to be moderated by Ally Condie, the author of the “Matched” trilogy. But the authors had something else in mind. The revelry started as Condie and the library staff entered the venue — a small, blank-walled space known as “The Attic” that held more than 100 fans — and shed their jackets to reveal T-shirts with pictures of Reichs and Dashner. The shirts were intended to reconcile Reichs...

By Ben Nielsen Trail advocates in Northern Utah are trying to remind members of the public to treat the region’s trails with respect. Just five people are responsible for maintenance of trails crisscrossing more than 2,800 square miles in three Northern Utah counties. “So when you see people ask, ‘ugh, why aren’t they maintaining the trails?’ well, there just isn’t funding for that,” said trails planner Dayton Crites, who is hoping two upcoming meetings will help gauge opinion on trail preservation. Because there simply aren’t enough resources available to fix the damages that can be done by inconsiderate people, Crites would like fellow hikers to stick to established trails and to avoid creating new ones. “If you make trails everywhere, you can damage watersheds; you can damage environments and animals coming through,” Crites said. “If everyone does that, it’s 4,000 people and all of a sudden this nice trail becomes an erosion patch.” Crites said he appreciates the work o...

By Jessica Dryden Twenty dogs displaced by the Louisiana flooding crisis are heading to Utah, where they will be taken in by staff at the Cache Humane Society in Logan. The four-legged refugees were formerly housed at Acadiana Humane Society in Lafayette, Louisiana. That shelter is currently underwater according to Stacey Frisk, the interim director at Cache Humane Society.  “It will be a bit of a tight fit,” Frisk said of available space at her shelter, “but we have fantastic adoption rates in Cache County.” The dogs will be safe in Utah. Cache Humane Society is part of a coalition called No Kill Utah, an initiative led by Best Friends Animal Society that works to prevent stray animals from being killed.  “As coalition members, we pull dogs from Utah shelters all the time," Frisk said. "Best Friends reached out to us and asked if we would reserve some space for these Louisiana dogs displaced by the flooding.” Acadiana Animal Aid is sponsoring the c...

By Matilyn Mortensen Utah Department of Transportation planners have honed in on a road configuration they believe will improve safety and efficiency — and pass environmental muster — when a heavily trafficked Northern Utah highway is updated in coming years. Local officials, though, say UDOT’s road of choice prioritizes the protection of two acres of wetlands over human lives. State Road 30, which runs north of the Wellsville Mountains connecting Logan to Interstate 15, is narrow and, in many places, has no shoulder. Road improvements will include 12 foot paved shoulders on either side and a 14 foot center lane with a concrete median. UDOT officials have proposed merging the highway into two lanes as it passes through a stretch of Bear River wetlands. At a meeting on Monday, though, the local leaders said they’d like the highway to include two lanes running in either direction the entire way — and pointed out that any required merging would likely increase crashes in the of...

By Jacob Olson  In preparation for the renovation of the historic Old Rock Church in Providence, owner Ralph Call is about to begin restoring a bungalow that sits on the same property. The bungalow, which was made into a bed-and-breakfast by the property’s previous owner, stands just a few feet away from the church. The upper rooms were transformed by the former owner and now the bungalow’s basement will be furnished into rooms. Additionally, the two suites on the main floor will receive an additional bed each, manager Kip Gilley said. Call said he expects the bungalow to be completed by the end of summer, making room for the work on the church to begin. The church, which was finished in 1871, was bought four years ago by Call, who was worried that it might be torn down and was determined to preserve its “historical value.” The church’s chapel, which is used as an event center, will be restored to look like it was when it was first built.  Gilley expects...

By Ayanna Likens  The Cache County Council is considering a request to transfer an acre of property to Weber County. If approved, the land transfer — which would cede a plot of land near the Powder Mountain ski resort — would mark the first time the county has moved its boundaries since the 1980s. Council members, though, have expressed skepticism about the request. Craig Sears, a property manager and construction company owner, proposed the transfer to the council on Tuesday, explaining that there is “a misfit lot” on the county boundary lines. An acre of the lot is on the Cache County side and 3.46 acres are in Weber County. “If we don’t move the boundary it will become wasted land,” Sears said. “It is an irregular-shaped lot, so by moving the acre into the Weber boundary we would be able to make something great out of it.” Sears said he hopes to see the lot transformed into a housing development, noting the property enhancements would benefit the schools in the a...

By Sophia Blankmeyer In the wake of a suicide attempt by a woman who stopped taking medication for her bipolar disorder when she became pregnant, police and psychologists in Northern Utah are warning against the arbitrary discontinuation of psychotropic medications. Logan police officers arrived at the home of the 21-year-old woman Tuesday morning after receiving tips from her boyfriend and mother. “They had to kick down the door,” said Capt. Tyson Budge. When the officers arrived they noticed an empty pill bottle and razor by her bed. The 16-weeks-pregnant woman told officers she had sought to overdose on Celexa, an antidepressant, because she did not want to deal with life anymore.  While women may have valid concerns about taking prescription medications during pregnancy, psychologists say shifts away of such medications should only be made in consultation with a doctor. The emotional turbulence of pregnancy can be a particularly challenging ti...

By Shayne Bair Two Richmond business owners have launched an employer-owned medical center to provide healthcare for their employees. The new center opened Wednesday as one of Utah’s first employer-owned medical centers. The facility is expected to provide low-cost healthcare to the employees of two of the town’s largest businesses, Casper’s Ice Cream and Lower Foods. “It is going to save money for our employees, because we buy them a membership to come here,” Casper’s owner Paul Merrill said. “So now they don’t have to pay towards their deductible when they are coming here.” Lower Foods owner Alan Lower believes the new clinic will save his company money by reducing workers’ compensation claims. “In the workers’ comp world, it is all about minimizing your claims and not having people sit home longer than they need to,” Lower said. “This place will allow us to get our employees back on the job faster, and at a fraction of the cost.” The facility will contract wi...

By Natalie Draper  For weeks, Brad Orme had been telling his grandmother he didn’t believe superheroes. That belief was challenged on Saturday, though, when the four-year-old attended The Family Place’s Superhero Training Academy at Playgrounz in Logan. Brad, living as Captain America for the day, went to the event with his grandmother, Jennie Orme. When Orme asked her grandson how long he had been waiting for the “hero party” he said, “I’ve been waiting for 100 days!” Being excited and being a believer, however, are two different things; he still insisted that heroes were imaginary. At the party, kids of all ages dressed up as Spiderman, Wonder Woman, members of The Incredibles and   other heroes. They also   made masks, conquered an "American Ninja Warrior" obstacle course, engaged in tug-of-war with the Hulk, beat Batman in a Frisbee toss and collected sought-after autographs. Britney Bird, the event coordinator, said the annual superhero event has a...

By Jessica Dryden An anti-abortion organization is working to introduce "healthy relationship education" to students in Cache County. Leaders from The Center for Pregnancy Choices, a "life-affirming" organization that provides support for individuals facing unexpected pregnancies, said they have been in contact with officials from the Logan and Cache County school districts about enrolling students into their program. “We rely on God for help, and we have good communication with Logan and Cache County schools,” center director Valerie Byrnes said. “They like the message we offer.” That message: Relationship Education and Leadership, or REAL, an abstinence-focused curriculum package developed by the Denver-based Center for Relationship Education. “Lack of healthy relationship education is a problem,” said Katie Harris, a volunteer at the Logan pregnancy center and certified sexual risk avoidance specialist, a designation bestowed upon her by the National A...

By Eddie Collins  The concentration of fine particulate matter in the air reached a high of 102.6 micrograms per cubic meter on Friday — a level of unhealthiness that even those in often-smoggy Cache County haven’t experienced in a long time. “I don’t think we’ve had levels that high in probably 12 years,” said Josh Greer, the air quality program manager at Bear River Health Department. “Best way I can categorize it is definitely unhealthy; doesn’t really matter who you are.” The levels of particulate matter 2.5, which is responsible for the decreased visibility and general toxicity of the ambient air, were nearly triple the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard for allowable concentration. PM2.5 is particularly dangerous due to its ability to penetrate deep into a person’s lungs, causing serious health issues for anyone with prolonged exposure, especially to high concentrations. “We have roughly 100,000 vehicles here that fill up the narrow, deep valley with p...

By Abby Bart  Utah author and historian Rebecca de Schweinitz will appear at the Orem Public Library on Thursday at 7 p.m. to discuss the role of children in the Civil Rights era as part of the library’s Black History Month series. De Schweinitz, a history professor at Brigham Young University and author of  If We Could Change the World: Young People and America’s Long Struggle for Racial Equality , was a consultant on the creation of the newest American Girl doll. The doll, named “Melody,” is a young African American girl living in Detroit, Michigan, during the Civil Rights Movement. “I’m planning to talk a little bit about the time period of the story, and especially what it was like for children living in this era,” de Schweinitz said. She plans to read a few excerpts from Melody’s story, as well as “talk about some of our hopes for the Melody project.” Orem Public Library event coordinator Marilee Clark said the library’s staff hopes to re...

By Natalie Draper  A new project aimed at strengthening relationships around children impacted by trauma has been launched by a Logan-based non-profit. The Trauma Resiliency Project at The Family Place began on Jan. 3. “Our goal is to build and foster relationships by helping the child deal with and regulate emotions while helping the caregiver recognize those emotions,” said Tiffany Gleason, the patient care coordinator for the project. While several organizations in Logan recognize and treat trauma, “the Family Place focuses on family relationships rather than strictly focusing on the individual,” project director Manny Zizumbo said. “The attachment piece is huge for us.” Zizumbo noted that childhood trauma has been linked to medical issues developed later on in life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood trauma can have a tremendous negative impact on lifelong health. Preventing those long-term consequences is a key goal of t...

By Matilyn Mortensen  Logan city leaders and volunteers are working to improve air quality by educating residents about the effects of idling — and they’re starting by taking small steps with young allies. “Early on we were looking for this silver bullet or this grand thing that’s going to improve our air quality,” said Paul Rogers, a community volunteer. “Well, it’s now become clear, I think to all parties, that it’s going to take a lot of little fixes to improve our air quality.” One “fix” is the 2014 amendment to the Logan anti-idling ordinance. This made it illegal to idle a vehicle for longer than two minutes in temperatures above zero degrees — something that tends to happen a lot around schools as parents wait to pick up their children. To combat this, Rogers is working with the Logan City School District, and alongside other volunteers, to put up signs informing drivers of the anti-idling ordinance. Educational programs and materials will be available as well...

By Madeline Thorpe For the first time, North Logan’s Valentine’s Day dance will be open to couples as young as 25, rather than just senior citizens. The dance will be held on   Feb. 10   at Greenville Elementary. The city has been hosting a Valentine’s Day dance for the past few years. The dance has received positive feedback but, after listening to citizen input, officials decided it was time to make some changes. Linda Smith, North Logan’s recreational coordinator, is hoping to get more of the community involved by expanding the age limit. A babysitting service, which will be provided in the library of the school, is also new this year. “We want to make sure we can help make it possible for everyone to attend,” Smith said. That came as welcome news to North Logan resident Ethan Evans. “I am glad they lowered the age limit because this is my first year being married on Valentine’s Day, and I was in need of a date idea,” Evans said. “This pre-planned dance ...

By Abby Bart  Children’s author Nora Ericson and her sister, artist Lisa Ericson, will appear at Salt Lake City's King’s English Bookshop on Saturday at 11 a.m. to promote their second co-written children’s book, “Dill and Bizzy: Opposite Day.” The sisters will read a special extra-large version of the book while in costume as the characters of the story, Dill and Bizzy. They will sign copies of the book for people who purchase them from The King’s English Bookshop, and lead a craft activity for children attending the event. This book is the sisters’ second story about these characters, and a follow-up to “Dill and Bizzy: An Odd Duck and a Strange Bird,” which they published a year ago. The second Dill and Bizzy book puts the characters’ friendship to the test, when Bizzy decides it’s Opposite Day, “and drags a somewhat reluctant Dill through a series of Opposite Day activities,” Lisa Ericson said. The book was published on Jan. 24, just...

By Jason Walker  The effects of President Donald Trump’s executive order to halt the travel of refugees, and all immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries, are already hitting multiple resettlement agencies in Utah. The Utah branch of the International Rescue Committee, or IRC, saw 41 individuals stopped on their way to what would have been their new home in Utah. Catholic Community Services, or CCS, had about 30 people whose flights were canceled. The future of these individuals, and how the resettlement programs will help them, is in question. “Not only does it put the program on hold, it puts all these people’s lives on hold across the world,” said Natalie El-Deiry, a representative for the IRC. “In particular, for the seven countries, there’s been no specific comments in terms of when or how the screening for those countries would be increased or what that even looks like, which is very troubling.” Even if the ban ends after the scheduled 90 days and new i...

By Matilyn Mortensen Logan residents who suspect their neighbors may be violating city rules for how many people can live in one home will be able to find answers more easily with a new interactive map on  loganutah.org . The map, which Logan officials hope to launch in the next few weeks, is part of a city attempt to better reinforce zoning and occupancy laws. The map comes in response to resident complaints that many landlords choose to rent homes to multiple individuals — often students — rather than one family. Such rental agreements are not legal in all areas of the city. “I think it’s of concern to the city that there are people that are violating the law in their occupancy," Logan councilman Tom Jensen said. "And so, if people are aware of it, the city has a better chance to enforce the law." When residents have concerns about occupancy, they can use the map to identify how many people may live at a particular address. They can then use that information...

By Alison Berg  On Jan. 19, a Cache County Animal Control officer responded to a complaint about Kitty Haven Sanctuary — an animal sanctuary in Trenton which takes care of abandoned cats. Officer Floyd Powell, an animal control officer, said the woman who called in the complaint said she planned to adopt a cat from Kitty Haven. When she arrived at the sanctuary, though, she was horrified at the site of 86 cats crammed into one room. Melissa Cowley, the owner of the sanctuary, said the woman who filed the complaint was worried she would catch a disease and visited the sanctuary at an inconvenient time. “She came at a bad time because the house was messy and she just didn’t understand everything that was going on,” Cowley said. Cowley said when Powell arrived he also voiced his concerns about catching a disease. “I couldn’t believe it," Cowley said. "You’d think animal control would know what they can and can’t catch.”  However, Cowley said in her 16 years of own...