Utah's Noon News

Utah lawmakers are back in session with one of the first items on their agenda being a repeal of the recently passed tax reform law.  Plus Utah Jazz players react to the death of Kobe Bryant, and we get an in-depth look at Kobe's relationship with Jazz fans throughout the years. 

Ogden police are trying to find the owner of a loaded 22 handgun found on the grounds of Odysey Elementary School this morning.  Lt. Brian Eynon says it was found by the door to the kitchen area.  A student spotted it, and told a parent who had just dropped off her children. They say that student did the right thing by not touching the gun and getting help right away.  

The Senate impeachment trial of President Trump has started.  The arguments have already taken a partisan tone between Democrats and Republicans. Plus, a second campus for Primary Children's Hospital will be built in Lehi, Utah.

Grantsville police say they will update us soon on the shooting over the weekend that killed four members of one family and left the father in the hospital.  A teenager suspect is in police custody . Plus, we look at some of the various Martin Luther King Day commemorations both in Utah and nationally. 

A large fast moving winter storm made the commute a mess along the Wasatch front in Utah.  However, the storm moved out quickly and now ski resorts are preparing for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend which historically has seen large crowds.

Chief Justice John Roberts sworn in to preside over the presidential impeachment trial.  The full Senate was then sworn in as well and will act as jurors in the case.  The actual trial won't begin until next week.  

The House of Representatives has voted to send the articles of impeachment over the Senate for trial.  Both sides gave passionate pleas before the vote was taken.

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is at odds with State Representative Angela Romero, who's sponsoring a bill that would remove "priest-penitent privilege."  Specifically, it would require clergy to report confessions of abuse to law enforcement.  The Catholic organization argues it would "gut the confidentiality of the Confessional seal."

Sandy City confirms that police chief Bill O'Neal died after "an unfortunate medical event," and he died of natural causes.  O'Neal had been chief since July 2018.  

The Granite School District is notifying parents that one of the vendors they use for online payments had a data breach.  Some credit card information was compromised in that breach. 

US officials in the Pentagon says it is "Highly Likely" Iran shot down a Ukraine airliner killing all on board shortly after Iran launched a missile attack at US bases in Iraq. 

President trump gave a speech for just over nine minutes in response the missile attack by Iran against US military bases in Iraq.  The President says there were no casualties and only minimal damage.  He also said Iran is standing down and the US will place more economic sanctions on the country.

The grandparents of a missing child from Rexburg, Idaho are offering a 20-thousand dollar reward for information that will help bring their grandson and his sister home.  7-year-old Joshua Vallow and his 17-year-old sister, Tylee Ryan, have been missing since September. 

The conversation continues about a possible Iranian military response against the United States after the killing of a top Iranian general in a U.S. drone strike. Utah Representative Chris Stewart is downplaying that notion, saying Iran doesn't want any conflict to escalate. Utah Representative John Curtis says American military conflict with Iran is nothing new.

Search and rescue teams are in Millcreek Canyon, looking for a 17-year-old who sent for a hike but didn't return.  The teenager was visiting Utah from California.

A prank turns potentially dangerous in Kaysville, Utah.  Police say the prank is called “power-boxing” and teens have been spotted going from house to house, cutting off the electricity.  But, Officer Lexi Benson says the teens cut off the power to one home, turning off the power to the homeowners C-PAP machine.  Benson says that person woke up when they couldn’t breathe.

West Valley City police are searching through the home of a woman who told her neighbor she killed her own 4-year-old daughter.

Recreational marijuana sales are now taking place in West Wendover, Nevada.  Officials in Utah are reminding people that buying the pot and then bringing it across the state line is still illegal. 

Groups trying to get a referendum passed to stop a newly passed tax reform bill held a rally at the Utah State Capitol. Plus, federal authorities have given the Utah Department of Health a green light for full Medicaid expansion in Utah. The department's news release says it will extend Medicaid eligibility to adults with incomes up to 138-percent of the federal poverty level. As many as 120-thousand people in Utah who didn't qualify for Medicaid a year ago will now be eligible.

The impeachment debate on the floor of the House of Representatives. 

Utah Congressman Ben McAdams held a brief news conference today, saying he will vote for the articles of impeachment against President Trump.  McAdams says he doesn't like the way the process has played out, but he feels what the President has done is wrong.

We take a look at the newly passed tax reform bill and look at the tax cuts, and tax increases. 

Utah lawmakers are meeting in a special session to debate and likely vote on a new tax reform package.  The bill has been controversial because it raises the sales tax on food while providing tax breaks in other areas. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released the location of three temples previously announced back in October. The Taylorsville Utah Temple will be constructed on a 7.5-acre site at 2603 West 4700 South. The Orem Utah Temple will be located on a 16-acre site at approximately 1471 South Geneva Road in Orem and the third temple will be in McAllen Texas.  

The Salt Lake County Health Department is doing another round of homeless camp cleanups.  They aren't removing the people, but rather helping clean up the areas of any potential hazardous materials. 

The Wasatch Front is seeing another day with an inversion and smoggy air.  But the people who monitor the state's air quality says we've actually made big improvements in air quality over the past couple of decades. 

Some Utah schools are starting to hold recess indoors because of the growing inversion.  The air has been particularly bad in the Salt Lake Valley and it might not clear out until a storm blows through over the weekend.

Students at Hillcrest High School in Midvale, Utah were evacuated not long after arriving this morning because of a gas leak caused by a knocked over propane tank.  Students were eventually sent home after it was determined it would take several hours to make sure the school was properly ventilated.  Plus, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is outlining plans for a four year renovation of the Salt Lake Temple. 

Senator Kamala Harris sent a letter to supporters today saying she is suspending her campaign.  The Senator from California says the campaign doesn't have the funds needed to move forward. 

Utah head football coach Kyle Whittingham addressed the media as his team prepares to face Oregon in the Pac 12 championship game.  The game could be even bigger if the Utes win as there is a possibility they could get selected to play in the college football playoffs. 

A winter storm is hitting Utah, and will continue through the Thanksgiving week. 

The mother who took her 3-week-old daughter which prompted an Amber Alert out of Clinton, Utah says she is the baby's rightful guardian. Taylor Webb issued a statement through her lawyer saying a California order granting guardianship to Audrey Westfall's grandmother is no longer valid. Despite this, Clinton police Lt. Shawn Stoker says there's still no official confirmation Audrey is safe. 

Clinton police say 25-year-old Taylor Webb took her daughter from her maternal grandmother's house who has court guardianship of the child. Police believe Webb very well might be heading toward Modesto, California where she has family. They don't know how she's trying to get there, but a ping of her cellphone suggests they're heading in that direction.

The Utah Legislature is following up on the State Board of Education's new efforts to crack down on vaping. A new bill spells out when and how schools can confiscate e-cigarettes and devices. 

Hundreds of students at West High School walked out of class this morning protesting their principal being placed on leave.  The Deseret News reports Principal Ford White allegedly drove a pair of drunk students home, instead of contacting the police which is district policy.    

Utah Representative Chris Stewart says today's testimony from Ambassador Marie Yvanovitch shouldn't even be a part of the impeachment inquiry.  Stewart says the Ambassador had been removed from her position in Ukraine months before any of President's actions being investigated by Congress.

One student was killed during a shooting at a high school near Los Angeles. Plus, Utah's former governor is back from being the Ambassador to Russia and is running for governor again.    

The first two witnesses have been called in the now public impeachment hearings in Washington D-C.  President Trump calls the entire process the “single greatest scam in the history of American politics.”

Police are trying to figure out why a man started shooting a gun outside an anytime fitness in Stansbury park early this morning.  A passerby was able to get the gun away from the man and pin him down until sheriff's deputies arrived. 

An infamous Utah killer has passed away on death row. Ron Lafferty died of natural causes at the Utah State Prison in Draper at the age of 78.

West Jordan police have taken a student into custody who apparently threatened a school shooting.  Tips came into police from students at Sunset Ridge Middle School and Copper Hills High school over the Safe UT app.     

The first funeral has already taken place in La Mora Mexico and others will follow after the attack that killed nine Americans with Utah relatives. 

Police in Mexico investigating the murders of nine Americans with Utah ties are now focusing on two specific groups.  Plus one person has been arrested and is being investigated to see if they can be linked to the murders. 

Families here in Utah related to the nine women and children murdered in Northern Mexico say they are heartbroken by what's taken place.  Six children who were wounded are still recovering in an Arizona hospital.  

The ACLU of Utah has released a report highly critical of "Operation Rio Grand" that was designed to clean up the area near Pioneer park and the Road Home Shelter.  The report says the operation has done a lot of damage to a vulnerable population.  Former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes disagrees saying the operation has given a lot of people the help they needed to get back on their feet. 

Police in Utah are holding crosswalk stings as trick-or-treaters hit the streets.  They say they want drivers to pay more attention today, and every day. 

The NCAA Board of Governors has moved toward allowing student athletes to make money based on their fame. The board voted unanimously just before noon to clear the way for amateur athletes to “benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness.”  NCAA board chair Michael Drake says the board realized that it “must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes.”

Police are asking for help finding two suspects who may be connected to a fatal stabbing in a West Valley City apartment complex.  Investigators say Treyvon Stephens has friends in the Redwood Apartments on Redwood Road.  He reportedly had been at the complex for a while before the attack that killed him.

The Utah Jazz season starts tonight as they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder here at the Vivint Arena.  Plus, the Jazz organization says they have a major announcement involving NBA commissioner Adam Silver.   

It's been one year since University of Utah student athlete Lauren McCluskey was murdered.  We look back at that day, and ask the question has anything changed since then to protect people from domestic violence.

Utah's legislative task force on tax reform is out with their recommendations.  They're proposing a lot of new taxes on services but an overall tax cut for most Utahns.  Their will now be a public comment period before lawmakers debate a tax reform bill this winter.   

We are hearing today from the train engineer that was operating the UTA Frontrunner train that smashed an SUV stuck on the tracks.  The driver was having a medial issue and was pulled out of the SUV seconds before the vehicle was hit.  

Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Ruben Correa is being called a hero today.  He responded to a report of a car driving off the side of I-15 and landing on train tracks.  The Trooper pulled the driver out of the car seconds before it was destroyed by an oncoming Frontrunner train.

The leaders at South Summit High School in Kamas, Utah say they are serious about stopping the vaping epidemic among their students.  They just removed 14 players from their varsity football team for vaping on the bus while traveling to games. 

A round table to try and find ways to keep kids from vaping was held at Primary Children's Hospital.  Senator Mitt Romney was on the panel discussing possible legislation to regulate the vaping industry.  Romney also joined KSL newsradio to talk about Syria, and personal attacks by President Trump.

The State health department confirms the state's first death from a vaping-related lung injury.  State epidemiologist Angela Dunn says the man is under 30 years old, and died at home.  He was not hospitalized. 

Two toddlers in a stroller and a mother were hit by a car in Sandy this morning along Sego Lilly Drive.  One of the toddlers was flown to Primary Children's Hospital in critical condition while the other two were treated for minor injuries.    The mother pushing the stroller was in a crosswalk when they were hit. 

Representative Ben McAdams holds a town hall with voters.  Many have been wondering if McAdams will take a side on the impeachment inquiry, but so far he says he is still waiting for all the facts to come out.

The Lime scooter company says too many people in Salt Lake City are using their scooters wrong, and they’re trying a new program that they hope can stop that.  Company officials say the scooters aren’t supposed to be ridden on the sidewalks, but, that seems to be where most people are using them. Jonathan Hopkins with Lime says many people don’t feel safe riding them on the streets, and a painted bike lane isn’t good enough.

The Utah Department of health has issued an emergency order requiring vape and tobacco shops to post warning signs in their stores.  Convenience and grocery stores will also be banned from selling flavored e-cigarettes.    

A Utah highway patrol trooper is recovering after his vehicle was struck by a truck on I-15 in Box Elder county.  The spot where he was hit is known for water puddling during heavy rain storms.  UDOT says it is working on a fix, but it will take some time.

A storm bringing rain the valleys and snow on the upper benches has led to the cancellation of the historic Wendover airshow.  The pilots of the vintage planes say they have to fly using sight, and it's not safe in a storm. 

We are learning more this hour about the arrest of an accused serial rapist who is now linked to crimes dating all the way back to the early 90's.  Clearfied police say they used DNA evidence to connect the cases, and they say it’s possible there are other victims.

The Salt Lake County District Attorney has a massive list of names of convicted felons who are going to have their convictions reduced from felonies to misdemeanors.  The DA says too many people are unable to get jobs or housing because of their felony records.

Utah's schools say they are trying to tackle teen vaping, but they need help.  They say it's a balancing act between providing education on the topic and punishment for students who ignore the campus rules. 

Search and rescue crews say a small group of kayakers were rescued in the Great Salt Lake in just the nick of time.  Two of them lost their kayaks when strong winds caused large waves and knocked them over.  They were not wearing life jackets and had to tread water for hours until they were rescued early in the morning. 

The thousands of people who use the Timpanogos freeway intersection will have to find a way around it for a few days.  UDOT is going to reconfigure the roads, but they hope to have it back open in time for the Monday morning rush. 

Cooperative weather and hard work from fire crews is helping them get the upper hand on the Francis Fire above the hills of Fruit Height.  But, fire officials have a new concern they need to worry about.  The Burned Area Emergency Response team is on the mountain, checking to see where the burn scar could lead to mudslides.  Jason Curry with Forestry, Fire and State Lands says NOT all of that burn scar is expected to come down.

The Francis Fire in Davis County is now 10% contained.  Firefighters say the blaze was caused by lightning a week ago and has been smoldering until winds kicked up.  So far 365 acres have burned and several closures are still in place.  

Over half of the state is under a red flag warning with gusts possibly reaching 50 miles per hour.  Fire watchers say they are concerned about these types of conditions, because if any fire starts it could spread very quickly. 

Ogden police say their Project Safe Neighborhood program is making a difference in reducing crime.  They showed off over hundred guns and even a grenade launcher that were seized during their enforcement.  

The couple accused of murder who escaped a prison transport while passing through Utah has been arrested in neighboring Arizona.  A news conference is taking place in Phoenix where more details are coming out about how the Barksdales were found.

Details are slowly being released by police in Carbon County about an officer involved shooting that killed one man.  We are being told the officers were wearing body cameras at the time.  Plus, Heavy rain storms are moving across the Wasatch Front, impacting drivers and causing flooding concerns.   

The construction company building a new middle school in Saratoga Springs, Utah says they are working as fast as they can to open the doors.  Multiple delays have kept the school from being finished, and kids are currently taking classes online. 

Police in Millcreek, Utah are trying to figure out who entered a home this morning, fired two shots, and then took off.  The five people inside say they don't recognize the shooter. 

The public is getting its first chance to see the second of three new homeless shelters built in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The Gail Miller resource center will be able to house 200 people when it officially opens.  The State and County have been working to open three new shelters to replace the Road Home shelter in downtown that has been surrounded by crime and other problems.      

Get ready for a very busy weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The Fan-X convention starts today.  There's also a world championship skateboarding competition, the Greek festival, A University of Utah football game, and there's an event at the conference center to celebrate birthday of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Russell M. Nelson.

Fire crews from Boise have come to help fight the Green Ravine fire in Tooele County.  The fire isn't currently threatening any homes, but there are concerns about the flames reaching the communication towers higher up the mountain.  

Firefighters have lifted the evacuations on several streets in Layton after getting a better handle on a fast moving wildfire in the hills above town.  But even when the flames are out there will be a concern about flooding as there are possible thunderstorms in the forecast.

Nine months of build up is over as the University of Utah Utes take their #14 national ranking and face off against their rivals, the BYU Courgars in Provo Utah. We hear from both coaches and analysts leading up to the game.

Orem, Utah police are looking for more witnesses after they say two groups fired guns at each other in an apartment parking garage not far from Utah Valley University.  One person has been arrested after being questioned.

Numbers from the state of Utah show residents drove 32 billion miles in vehicles in 2017 and that number will keep going up dramatically.  The state has set aside millions for public transportation, but there will be a need to find more funding to pay for roads in the coming decades. 

Unified police have found the car belonging to a teenage girl who was shot and killed at a party in Taylorsville, Utah over the weekend.  Investigators are still looking for witnesses.  Counselors are at the girl's school today. 

A University of Utah detective who worked on the Lauren McCluskey case has been fired and accused of mishandling another student's case.  

Vice President Mike Pence spoke about supporting President Trump's trade agreement with Canada and Mexico while visiting Merit Medical in South Jordan, Utah.  We are also covering multiple large wildfires, including one that shut down both directions of I-15 in central Utah.  

The man accused of killing University of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck is now facing more charges.  Another woman has come forward saying she was held against her will and sexually assaulted by Ayoola Ajayi in his Salt Lake home.  

Body camera footage has been released from a fatal officer-involved shooting outside an apartment complex in Salt Lake City earlier this month.  Police say it shows suspect Riche Santiago pulled out his gun first. Captain Lance Vandogen says Santiago had several warrants out for his arrest and was sitting in a car linked to another shooting.

The University of Utah says they are rolling out new safety measures to keep students safe.  This follows the on campus murder of student athlete Lauren McCluskey.  Some of the changes include new policies about visitors at student dorms, and night classes will be clustered together and include safety patrols. 

Unified Police have made two arrests following a shooting overnight in Millcreek, Utah that left one person dead.  Police say one of the suspects confessed, and it appears the shooting followed a fight over social media.

The man accused of killing University of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck is facing additional charges from the Salt Lake County Attorney's office.  Ayoola Ajayi is now accused of having child pornography on his electronic devices. 

An assistant band teacher at Pleasant Grove High School in Utah County is being accused of offering money to a student in exchange for nude pictures. Police say they also found over 100 pictures of child porn on the teacher's phone. 

The FBI and Orem, Utah police have started a search for the bodies of Emily Quijano Almiron and her son Gabriel.  The two disappeared four years ago, and her ex-boyfriend just took a plea deal admitting he killed them and hid the bodies. 

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. and current Ambassador to Russia has submitted his letter of resignation to President Trump.  Huntsman says he's going to return to Utah to spend more time with family.  There is also wide speculation Huntsman is looking at a possible run for Governor. Current Governor Gary Herbert says he has already endorsed his current Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, and will continue to do so in the gubernatorial race.

President Trump mentioned the need for Red Flag laws as he talked about the recent mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.  A Utah Representative who tried to pass a Red Flag law last session says he isn't sure yet if he'll try again in the upcoming session. 

Utah Congressman Chris Stewart is hosting a security summit in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.  The topics discuss America's role in security around the globe and how to prepare for the future. 

A South Salt, Utah girl has been found safe after she went missing while meeting with a friend a day ago.

Salt Lake County is rolling out a new program designed to help keep low level offenders out of court, and out of jail.  Plus we have some late breaking news about a hiker who fell to his death above Provo, Utah.

Two people are in the hospital after their small plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Vernal.  An 18 year old woman and her 27 year old instructor were on board.