Chris Holmes

We’ve seen it here in southern Utah. We’ve seen cases along the Wasatch front as recently as last week, and over the weekend another incident in Washington County. What is it? Copper theft.

Over the weekend, someone broke into the hydroelectric facility at Quail Creek and caused over one-thousand dollars in damage. Nothing was missing, but it was obvious what the individuals were after.

Cory Cram is the Assistant Director of the Washington County Water Conservancy.

Mohave county sheriff’s search and rescue units responded to a plane crash late Thursday morning, approximately 40 miles southwest of Kingman in which one person died.

Mohave county 911 dispatch received a call from a teenage boy calling from his cell phone from the site of a plane crash.  The young male said the single engine plane crashed with his father, mother and himself onboard.   

A Mohave County, Ariz. man called the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office for help, but the visit by deputies resulted in the man’s own arrest.

Deputies responded to a residence in Golden Valley in reference to shots fired.  51-year-old david brawner reported several people outside of his residence trying to shoot him.  Brawner said he also returned fire.

Transportation officials in Arizona are scrambling to find alternatives after US 89 was closed due to a landslide in February.

The Arizona State Transportation Board is considering whether to temporarily designate a 45 mile long Navajo tribal road as a state highway and improve it so it can be used as an alternate to a closed stretch of US 89 south of Page.

The design phase of the project would cost $1 million.

Southern Utah University has received a $6 million gift from the Sorenson Legacy Foundation to create a multi-million dollar arts center on the campus of SUU.

In partnership with the Utah Shakespeare festival, the new center will further establish SUU as a regional center for the arts.

Southern Utah University President, Dr. Michael T. Benson, is one of three finalists to become the next president of Eastern Kentucky University.

Michael Benson has been president of SUU since 2006.  Benson has made a name for himself in the Utah higher education system for his personable approach and his proven ability to fund raise.

“The future is rising,” is a comprehensive campaign to raise 100 million dollars at SUU.  Now in its third year, the campaign has already raised 85 million.

A man is in custody in Beaver County after a two-hour standoff with a Beaver County swat team on Sunday.

Beaver County sheriff deputies were dispatched to an apartment in Milford by witness reports that 24-year-old Samuel Weiss assaulted another man, threatened to kill him, and brandished a gun. 

When deputies arrived and attempted to talk to Weiss, he ran inside his own apartment and refused to respond to officers.

After two-hours of negotiations, a Beaver County swat team used tear gas and made entry into the apartment.

A former Garfield County Public Defender was sentenced to 90 days in jail for getting indigent clients to pay him even though he'd already been compensated by the state.

Sixth District Judge James Taylor on Friday also ordered John Hummel to perform 50 hours of community service and to pay restitution to victims.

A jury in February convicted the 54-year-old Hummel on four felony counts of theft by extortion and one felony count of attempted theft by extortion.

A dangerous situation at a St. George motel was averted Thursday night thanks to the heads up play on the part of a high school baseball player from Spanish Fork.

Jade Nielson and his team mates from the Spanish Fork High baseball team are staying in the Quality Inn on South Bluff Street in St. George for a weekend baseball tournament. 

Jade was returning to his parent’s room to his own when he smelled smoke in an unoccupied room belonging to team mates.

Rob Nielson is Jade’s father.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has declared an emergency in the case of the recent collapse of US highway 89 south of Page.

The declaration will assist the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) in seeking reimbursement from the Federal Highway Administration for necessary repairs to the roadway.

The collapse occurred on February 20. As a result, ADOT has closed the highway indefinitely northbound and southbound at milepost 526, between Page and U.S. Route 89a.