Utah nonprofit calls for an end to spray-based mosquito abatement in the Salt Lake Valley
Pat Wellenbach/AP
FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2010, file photo, a mosquito is held up for inspection at a research institute in Portland, Maine. Officials said that dry conditions across Maine and the region during the summer of 2020 have led to a dramatic drop in biting insects like mosquitoes and ticks. (AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach, File)
and last updated 2021-04-13 15:06:32-04
SALT LAKE CITY â The nonprofit group Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment is calling for the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District to discontinue the practice of spraying insecticides to reduce the mosquito population.
KUER Opponents of Utah’s planned inland port have started a petition calling on the governor to veto this year s inland port bill. This story and more in Thursday evening s news brief.
Thursday evening, March 11, 2021
State
Gov. Spencer Cox Reflects On Year Defined By COVID-19
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox reflected on the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic during a press conference Thursday. He said March 11 marks the day when COVID-19 became real for many Utahns. That’s when Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus, followed shortly by his teammate Donovan Mitchell. Utah wouldn’t implement a statewide mask mandate until eight months later in November. Now, that’s set to end next month. State health officials reported 646 new cases Thursday. Utah also surpassed 2,000 deaths related to COVID-19. Read the full story.
‘Diesel Brothers’ ordered to pay $1M in pollution case
OGDEN, Utah (AP) The stars of the “Diesel Brothers” reality TV show have been ordered to pay nearly $1 million in legal fees on top of $848,000 in previous penalties over pollution law violations. U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby of Salt Lake City ruled in January that David “Heavy D” Sparks and Joshua “Redbeard” Stuart must pay must pay $928,602 in legal fees and costs to Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. Diesel Brothers attorney Cole Cannon criticized the “egregious and frivolous” fee request by the legal team representing the doctors’ group.
KUER Beginning Monday, March 15, Salt Lake City Public Library buildings will reopen to the public for “Express Services.” This story and more in the Tuesday morning news brief.
Tuesday morning, March 9, 2021
State
Vaccine Appointments Filling Up
The New York Times ranked Utah as one of the most efficient states in the country in using up its COVID-19 vaccines, but there have also been lots of appointments going unfilled. Last week in Utah County, the health department couldn’t fill several hundred vaccine appointment openings. They’ve since started to pick back up now that Utahns 50 and older are eligible. Read the full story.
March 8, 2021 GMT
OGDEN, Utah (AP) The stars of the “Diesel Brothers” reality TV show have been ordered to pay nearly $1 million in legal fees on top of $848,000 in previous penalties over pollution law violations.
U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby of Utah ruled Jan. 26 that David “Heavy D” Sparks and Joshua “Redbeard” Stuart must pay $928,602 in legal fees to Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, the Standard-Examiner in Ogden reported Monday.
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The environmental group started the legal battle in 2016 after seeing smoke-spewing trucks on the Discovery Channel show, where the crew modifies vehicles and gives away customized diesel trucks. The group later sued under the Clean Air Act, which allows people to seek civil damages against violators.