Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Headlines you may care about today

WEATHER OUTLOOK: Thunderstorms possible today

National Weather Service forecasters are calling for a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon today. Beyond that most of the Utah Valley will be under mostly sunny skies with a high temperature expected to reach 100. Showers and thunderstorms could return tonight, with the low dropping to just 67 degrees. The rest of the week is expected to be hot and dry with highs near 98 during the days and lows in the low 60s.
Mountain weather: The High Uintas around Mirror Lake will be 15-20 degrees coolers that Utah Valley, but hikers can expect afternoon thunderstorms. Hikers in the Nebo Loop and Payson Lakes areas will see similar cooler temperatures as well.

LOCAL NEWS: LDS Church releases video touting success of vaccinations

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said it’s humanitarian efforts have helped to save lives in developing nations through it immunization efforts.
“Immunizations spare our children from life threatening diseases like measles,” the video narration states. The statements explains that since 2003, the church has partnered with “organizations to help reduce childhood mortality through continued efforts to eradicate infectious diseases. READ MORE HERE: http://bit.ly/1FNo5va

LOCAL NEWS: Utah County Health seeks funds for teaching abstinence

Utah County Commissioners will hear a request today by the Utah County Health Department for more funds earmarked for Abstinence Education. The request is coming from Health Department Executive Director Dr. Joseph K. Miner. The department launched a website in 2013 to give parents ideas and tools to talk to their children about early sexual activity. County Commissioners are expected to pass Miner’s request for additional funding. READ MORE HERE: http://bit.ly/1egvptl

NATIONAL NEWS: Supreme Court thwarts Obama’s climate change agenda

The Associated Press is reporting that Monday’s Supreme Court ruling against the EPA will likely not help coal fired power plants shuttered because of lower court rulings. The high court ruled ruled 5-4 that the EPA failed to account properly for the costs to industry when it first decided to regulate mercury and other toxic emissions from coal- and oil-fired plants, according to an Associated Press report. While the ruling thwarts President Barack Obama’s climate change agenda, it will do little to help the coal industry. READ MORE HERE: http://yhoo.it/1duzp8D

LOCAL SPORTS: Orem Owlz dispatch Ogden Raptors with 21-2 win

Playing at home, the Orem handed Ogden a decisive victory with a 21-2 score in a game that lasted for nearly four hours. The hitting derby on Monday sets up a four-game home series beginning tonight against Grand Junction. Orem is 8-4 on the year. READ MORE HERE: http://bit.ly/1Ns9RpN

NATIONAL SPORTS: U.S. women face Germany in World Cup semifinal

U.S. vs. Germany will be the match to watch Tuesday. The German team, ranked No. 1 will face No. 2 ranked U.S. in Tuesday’s semifinal match. Soccer fans watched France outplay the Germans in the quarterfinals and know that the U.S. women have a chance, but the Germans have proven to show that despite odds they can still win. READ MORE HERE: http://yhoo.it/1FNu2Iq

LOCAL BUSINESS: Vivint earns honors for wireless Internet antenna

Vivint, a leading provider of smart home technology, announced Monday that it has received the prestigious Red Dot Product Design Award 2015 for its wireless Internet antenna, which provides high-speed wireless Internet access to residential customers. READ MORE HERE: http://bit.ly/1JusriA

Monday, June 29, 2015

 Headlines you may care about today


WEATHER for the next few days... 

We’ll see another triple digit day today with the high peaking around 102, according to the National Weather Service. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 67. Forecasters are calling for continued highs near 100 through Independance Day, so if you are planning on attending any of the Freedom Festival events, take water and sunscreen everywhere. Next chance of rain? We may see a thunderstorm on Tuesday night or early Wednesday, but it likely will move through the central Utah Valley and not drop any significant moisture. High Uintas: Watch for rain on Tuesday night and Wednesday. Otherwise it will be highs near 90 and lows in the 50s.


LOCAL SPORTS: Parade of champions. 

 BYU fans must attend the Freedom Festival Parade on Saturday morning when a handful of legendary BYU quarterbacks -- including Robbie Bosco, Ty Detmer and Brandon Doman -- will join former coach LaVell Edwards as the grand marshall. The parade is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on July 4. READ MORE HERE: http://bit.ly/1RLw4ji.

NATIONAL SPORTS: The king is out. 

LeBron James will be a free agent again. The Cleveland Cavalier has refused to exercise a $21.6 million option on his contract, according to AP sources. The move will make him available to any team willing to take a chance. Fans in Cleveland have mixed feelings after seeing him snub his hometown more than once now. After graduating high school at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School near Akron, Ohio, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading the team to the first finals appearance in 2007, but losing to the San Antonio Spurs. Three years later he left Cleveland for the Miami Heat, which reached the finals every year he was there and earned him his first two championship titles in 2012 and 2013. In 2013. He came back home to Cleveland in 2014, making it to the finals again, but failing to clinch the title after losing to the Golden State Warriors. READ MORE HERE: http://yhoo.it/1Hq0bex.

LOCAL BUSINESS: Springville’s ATL Technology acquires MedConx. 

ATL Technology LLC announced today that it has acquired MedConx Inc.a California corporation with locations in Santa Clara, California and San Jose, Costa Rica. ATL is a provider of electromechanical contract manufacturing of assemblies and devices with specialties in single use solutions, and according to a statement by the company, today’s move result in expanded operational capabilities and increased capacity. The facility is ISO 13485:2003 quality medical device certified and joins ATL's existing facilities in China and the USA. READ MORE HERE: http://bit.ly/1Hq18DN.

NATIONAL BUSINESS: Gay marriage ruling could affect insurance coverage.

The Supreme Court’s decision to make legal gay marriage legal nationwide could have financial impacts as employers decide how to handle the increase of people now qualified under company insurance plans. Some employers already offer benefits to same-sex couples who are unmarried. But now, some employers may drop coverage for unmarried same-sex partners because same-sex marriage is a national right. READ MORE HERE: http://yhoo.it/1NpV4fb.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

RECENT VIDEOS




This is one of many of videos I shot using an iPhone on location at a breaking news event in Springville, Utah. Find more of my videos HERE.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

EDITOR'S NOTES

The Provo River and I need your help

I built a boat over the winter. But I’m not very happy about it, and neither is my daughter.
Let me explain.
Sometime in February, I took up a large part of the garage and began constructing a kayak. It is wood-framed and covered in canvas. It floats beautifully. A couple weeks ago I spent several days with the Venture Crew my son belongs to near Moab paddling up and down the Colorado River.
At the same time I was building my kayak, my son knocked one out in about half the time, thanks to the help from his Venture Crew leaders.
I now have two kayaks killing grass in my back yard.
This new found mode of transportation, however, also has taken me to several locations around Provo, including the lower Provo River – the section just above the state park.
If you’ve not been to that part of the river or the Provo River trail, you really owe it to yourself to spend some time there. It is a beautiful section of trail shaded by tall willows and cottonwood trees. There are beaver and Canada geese and ducks and a rope swing or two. Plus there are benches along most of the trail. It’s perfectly flat and perfect for bike riding, long boarding or just strolling.
And, if you have a couple of kayaks like I now do, it’s perfect for paddling. There is virtually no current and lots of overhanging trees complete with moss hanging into the water, giving it the feel of a southern states bayou.
Perfect, right? Wrong.
This section of the Provo River is heavily strewn with trash, garbage and junk everywhere. It’s mostly in the form of plastic water bottles, flip flops, food containers old tires and anything else that someone on shore decided to toss into the water. Out of sight out of mind, I guess.
My daughter – who borrowed her brother’s kayak -- and I spent a couple of hours on the river on Saturday and we simply could not believe how trashed it was. We took a couple of small bags of garbage out, but it barely made a dent.
My daughter is a woman of action. Consequently she began plotting ways to clean up the river. Her first thought was, “I’m going to call Mayor Curtis about this. He should know that his river is trashed.”
Of course it’s not his river, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Mayor Curtis gets a call anyway from a very upset young woman seeking action.
At the bottom of this page, you’ll see a letter from Dave Olpin a longtime member of the local Kiwanis Club. Like my daughter, Olpin is issuing a call to action. The local service organizations need more members, but there seems to be a lack of interest in community service, he surmises.
A few weeks ago, we reported in the Daily Herald that the local Lions Club was reforming after several years of inactivity. That’s great news.
My hope is that local residents just need to be reminded that there are community service options out there. Organizations such as the Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis and others play in invaluable role in our community, not only through their charitable giving, but as a social organization that brings neighbors, business leaders and others together.
Of course, the LDS church and its myriad service programs also provide a valuable function. Children learn early on that service is a part of church and family life. What ward or stake doesn’t use “service projects” as part of the regular activities?
Last week, we reported on the Utah Valley Ministerial Association’s effort to gather members of all faiths in the Provo/Orem area together to tackle the huge issue of homelessness. Again, this is a perfect example of local people taking action to provide service to their community.
Thinking back to the Provo River, I know there have been several cleanup efforts along various sections of the river, especially around the Vivian Park area that is heavily used. This is a great service that is hugely appreciated for anyone like me and my daughter who find ourselves near the river fairly often.
My guess is that now that I have a couple of new boats to navigate more of the waterways, we’ll be out there even more often, but we’ll be bringing trash bags along.

Daily Herald executive editor David Kennard can be reached at 801-344-2530 or dkennard@heraldextra.com or on Twitter @davidbkennard.

Monday, June 22, 2015

NEWS STORY

Commissioners to hear statements on Snowbird's plans for American Fork Canyon

PROVO -- Utah County Commissioners will hear public comments Tuesday over possible development in the Mineral Basin area of American Fork Canyon.
According to the Protect and Preserve American Fork Canyon group, Snowbird plans housing a gondola at Tibble Fork and condos on Miller Hill in the Mineral Basin area as part of a 416 acre land swap by the Mountain Accord ...

Sunday, June 7, 2015

NEWS STORY

National Park Service debunks volcano rumors

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona -- When pictures emerged last week of what appeared to be steam plumes coming from Sunset Crater just across the Utah state line in northwestern Arizona, it had geologists scrambling.
A series of very minor earthquakes shook southern Utah June 3-4, but the last time Sunset Crater erupted was in the year 1085.
If the dormant volcano located within Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument really was coming back to life it could be a cataclysmic event for northern ...