Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall expressed his frustration with ballooning dispatch fees to Tooele County Sheriff Paul Wimmer during Wednesday’s city council meeting.

For the second year in a row, Grantsville City faces an increase in dispatch fees of more than $22,000. In 2015, the city paid $95,139 in dispatch fees; that figure will jump to $118,869 in the city’s projected budget.

In past years, municipalities and agencies that use Tooele County dispatch were charged a base fee using population figures, as well as a usage fee based on the three-year average number of incidents and traffic stops.

Some users, including the Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Affairs, paid set contract amounts of $5,462.

For the current budget year, however, the county has adopted a new formula to determine dispatch fees akin to the way water bills are generated. All users will pay a base fee of $752, which covers 50 incidents; each additional incident will cost $15.04.

The new formula was one of four presented to stakeholders during meetings last year. Marshall said the city supported a different option that increased the number of organizations paying a contract fee and charged the remaining municipalities based on their percentage of the total incidents and traffic stops in the county.

“It’s not that we liked it but it was the one that we preferred,” Marshall said. “It was less money to us.”

Under Marshall’s favored plan, Grantsville City would have paid $114,644 in 2016, a savings of more than $4,000.

The selected option will be much cheaper for agencies paying the $5,462 contract fee, however. For example, the BLM will only pay the base fee of $752.12 in 2016, since the agency averaged only 30 incidents over the past three years.

Marshall said contract agencies were already paying a flat rate while cities and the county absorbed significant increases the past several years.

“The contract people that are stakeholders in this system in the past three years haven’t been assessed an increase and we have,” he said.

Marshall also said that Wimmer told them there could be a 10 to 11 percent increase in dispatch fees next year. Wimmer contested that comment, saying it’s difficult to predict how much the budget will increase when he doesn’t control raises for county employees and stakeholders made requests that the county include caps on fee increases in their agreement.

“You also wanted us to be able to guarantee it wouldn’t go up more than a specific amount, which, with the fluid way the budget operates, that’s really not possible at this point,” Wimmer said.

In 2016, the county’s dispatch budget jumped up to $1.2 million, an increase of about $158,000. Wimmer said a clerical error that caused dispatch to under-budget on holiday pay by more than $25,000 last year and increases in salaries and benefits contributed to the higher figure.

Tooele County Commissioner Myron Bateman said the dispatch center only recently returned to former staffing levels in December 2014 and the only way to cut costs would be to terminate positions.

“They’ve been short dispatchers for several years,” he said.

In addition to rising costs, the county has seen 911 fees drop $16,000 over the past four years. The state tax commission collects a 70 cent fee for every phone line in the county — with 9 cents staying with the state and 61 cents going to local government.

Marshall said competitors to Tooele County Dispatch, such as the Valley Emergency Communications Center, or VECC, could provide better rate stability if the city left the county’s system.

“I’m confused … how we can’t predict something because I’ve got VECC’s contract right here and they have predicted their costs and they don’t have a 20 percent increase,” he said.

According to Marshall, Grantsville would save more than $40,000 switching to VECC over staying with the county. VECC offered the city $9.27 per police incident and $32.33 for each fire call on a five-year contract.

Wimmer admitted he couldn’t match VECC’s prices due to the scale of its operation, which is based in West Valley City. He said the quality of service from Tooele County’s system was better, however, and dispatchers are more familiar with the area and handle less call volume.

Marshall said he’d rather not move to a different dispatch service, but rising dispatch fees put a strain on municipal budgets when they are so significant each year.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I want to leave, I just want to be treated so that I feel like I’ve been treated fairly,” he said.

The Tooele County Council of Government is expected to review the possibility of creating a special service district to pay for the county’s dispatch during its meeting at 6 p.m. tonight at the Tooele County Building.

Two semitrailers were blown over on Interstate 80 last Friday while high winds blew through Tooele County.

The two tractor-trailers were both traveling eastbound near mile marker 84 when they were blown over in roughly the same five-minute period, according to the Utah Highway Patrol. Traffic was diverted for nearly two hours due to the accident, with vehicles directed off the highway at exit 84.

While both semitrailers were blown onto their sides, there were only minor injuries and a small amount of engine oil spilled on the roadway, according to UHP. A scanner report indicated one of the truck drivers was complaining of hip pain but was otherwise unhurt.

After two hours, the tractor-trailers were moved enough to open one eastbound lane of I-80, according to UHP.

Winds gusted as high as 49 miles per hour in the region, according to preliminary information from the National Weather Service. The average wind speed was 14.5 mph coming from the south.

Some of the best shots in the state of Utah descended on Dugway Proving Ground last Friday for the fifth annual Tactical Top Shot Competition.

Not even windy conditions and grey skies were able to put a damper on the event, which brought in law enforcement officers, military personnel and, for the first time, civilians to the shooting range at Dugway.

The three-gun competition tested participants’ abilities with the rifle, shotgun and pistol.

While strong wind gusts knocked over metal targets on the head-to-head course, Dugway Police Chief Phil Fishbeck said the adverse conditions were a good training opportunity, especially for the military and law enforcement competitors. Targets rarely stay in one place in real-world scenarios, he said.

“They’re going to be shooting in this environment all the time,” Fishbeck said. “While it’s not ideal for a competition, this is what the real world is like.”

Despite the windy conditions, Unified Police Department Officer Phillip Vollmer managed to win the law enforcement category for both the main course and a bonus round. Vollmer praised the event and the job that the Dugway Police Department did to put on the event, in his return to the Top Shot competition.

“This is my second time,” he said. “I enjoyed it last time and that’s why I came back.”

Technical Sgt. Trevor McLelland from Hill Air Force Base took home honors in the military division of the main course, while Staff Sgt. Aaron Anderson of the Utah National Guard was first in the bonus round.

In the first-ever civilian competition at Top Shot, Duane Shields of the Special Programs Division was the best shot on the main course, while Deputy Garrison Manager Aaron Goodman had the best time on the bonus round.

While he didn’t take home any awards, Dugway Commander Col. Sean Kirschner enjoyed taking a run at the Top Shot course. He said the event brought the entire Dugway community together, especially with the addition of a civilian competition that allowed family members, including his son Jackson, to compete.

“We’re only here in Utah for two years so we’re trying to make the most of it and take advantage of every experience we can get,” Kirschner said.

Both Kirschner and Fishbeck also lauded the benefits of working with local, state and federal agencies in a fun, competitive environment.

“It’s just a great opportunity to network with our local and regional law enforcement partners, while at the same time showcasing some of the capabilities we have out here,” Kirschner said.

Fishbeck said a total of 16 agencies that signed up for the competition attended, including Dugway police and security forces, Utah Highway Patrol, and the Fort Sill Police Department from Oklahoma, attended to gather ideas for a similar competition they hope to host at their installation.

“It’s something that we enjoy doing,” Fishbeck said. “It gives us the opportunity to give back to the local outside agencies that support us.”

The Tooele County Sheriff’s Office honored its employees and volunteers during an awards banquet at Tooele Applied Technology College on Friday.

Prior to any awards being handed out, however, members of the sheriff’s department heard from keynote speaker Chad Hymas. A motivational speaker, Hymas became a quadriplegic after a 2,000-pound hay bale shattered his neck while he was working on his elk farm in 2001.

Three Tooele County Sheriff’s deputies were among the first responders the day of his accident. Tooele County Sheriff Paul Wimmer presented Hymas with a plaque that made him an honorary member of the law enforcement agency.

Wimmer noted the department chose last week for the awards banquet as it was National Law Enforcement Week.

“This is a week in which we honor the fallen, and yet at the same time, we celebrate the noble profession of law enforcement and public safety in general,” he said. “You guys represent what is the blue line that separates good and evil.”

Awards were given out to five employees in recognition of outstanding service in the past year, representing the sheriff’s civilian employees and investigations, dispatch and corrections divisions.

Detective Shane Starks and Corrections Officer Richard Maroney were recognized for their investigation that ended an illegal drug trafficking operation at the Tooele County Detention Center. Drugs had been smuggled into the detention center by a member of the kitchen staff before Starks and Maroney arrested several suspects.

Dispatcher Alexis Bullough also received an outstanding service award for her passion for the job, positive attitude and willingness to assist her coworkers, according to the nomination from the county’s dispatch staff. Corrections Officer Jamin Parish was recognized after he took over DNA collection duties at the county jail and for his work ethic and willingness to take on extra duties, Wimmer said.

Shannon Clough was recognized as the outstanding civilian employee in the past year due to her work as a civil process secretary and other responsibilities she has taken on outside that role.

“A lot of what we do can’t be done without civilian support,” Wimmer said. “They are often the unsung heroes in what we do as uniformed, sworn officers out there.”

Greg Martin received the Outstanding Volunteer Award for his work to keep the department’s citizen patrol running. The Citizen Service Award went to Jeff Hicken, who smashed a window and freed the driver from the cab of a semitrailer that hit the Oquirrh Mountain Inn sign last September before it was engulfed in flames.

“I think it’s people like you that make the difference and I want to say thank you,” Wimmer said.

Deputy Isaac Wayman received the Life Saving Medal after he found an unconscious woman in a vehicle on the side of the road who nearly died from asphyxiation.

The Sheriff’s Award, chosen at Wimmer’s discretion, was given to Deputy Nicholas Yale in recognition of his various drug busts in the past year.

“There are just multiple things that he brings to this agency,” Wimmer said. “If you had a department full of Nicholas Yales, you wouldn’t need a sheriff.”

Awards for years of service to the sheriff’s office were also presented to employees with 5, 15, 20 and 25 years of employment with the department.

Veterans and local law enforcement agencies traveled through Tooele County last Thursday morning on their way to Washington, D.C.

The National Veterans Awareness Ride is a major event held each year by the National Veterans Awareness Organization, a nonprofit formed in 2005 to honor all veterans. The 10-day motorcycle trip began in Auburn, California and heads east toward the nation’s capital.

The segment of the ride that went through Tooele County began in Elko, Nevada early Thursday morning and made a stop at the Flying J gas station in Lake Point to pick up a police escort and local veterans joining the ride for the day.

Dozens of law enforcement from around the state provided the escort for more than 100 veterans on motorcycles after rallying in Lake Point. Riders from the Patriot Guard, American Legion and other veteran groups were represented in the convoy that left for Salt Lake Valley around midday.

From there, the ride proceeded to the Utah State Veterans Nursing Home in Salt Lake to have lunch and visit with veterans.

According to the NVAO, each day of the ride stops at a memorial, cemetery or other place of remembrance, with the focus on thanking veterans for their service or educating school students about the sacrifice of veterans.

After departing the veterans’ nursing home, the ride on Thursday ended in Evanston, Wyoming for dinner at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post. The 10-day journey is expected to end on May 28 after visits to the Vietnam Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, where they will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

The Tooele County Council of Governments is reviewing the possibility of paying for the county’s dispatch services through a special service district.

During its meeting last Thursday, COG agreed to spend about a month and a half studying the possibility of a special service district and looking at all aspects of the potential change before voting to put it on the November ballot, according to COG chairman Scott Wardle.

The process will involve meeting with all involved parties, including municipal governments, fire and police departments and state and federal agencies, he said.

Wardle said there are a number of questions that need to be addressed before COG decides to put a special service district on the ballot of Tooele County taxpayers this fall.

Under the current policy, municipal governments and other agencies pay dispatch fees based on a flat contract fee of $752.12 for the first 50 incidents in their jurisdiction, then a usage fee of $15.04 for each additional incident based on a three-year average.

The formula used to figure out the cost per incident is based around the dispatch budget, which is $1.2 million in 2016. In effect, the formula works backward, starting with the total budget expense and determining each agency or municipality’s contribution.

Wardle said with no special service district, the general funds of municipalities and government agencies bear the brunt of skyrocketing dispatch costs. In 2016, the total amount collected for dispatch fees will jump from $716,758 to $905,282, a 26.3-percent increase.

With a special service district, county taxpayers would still foot the bill, but not through government middlemen.

Figuring out what should be included in the cost of a dispatch special service district is another question that needs to be answered by COG before any final decision can be made on a potential ballot item. Wardle said Tooele County Sheriff Paul Wimmer requested caution before moving ahead with the proposed special service district.

“The sheriff was concerned if we move too fast it could cause irreparable harm,” Wardle said.

Wimmer said he believed the county should ask for an outside investigation into the total costs of dispatch services, including building leases and the maintenance and repair on the radio transmitter towers currently included in other portions of the county’s budget.

“My caution to them was let’s not jump the gun,” Wimmer said. “We’re not just talking about the $1.2 million (dispatch budget).”

Dispatch uses the county’s $8 million communication system, which was built primarily with Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program funds. The county spends about $250,000 each year to maintain the system.

Wimmer said a special service district for dispatch would likely keep all of the current shareholders in the county system. Both Grantsville and Tooele cities have investigated the potential cost savings of joining the Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center to save money on dispatch fees.

While Wimmer admitted there were cost savings by going with VECC, he said potential issues could arise from calls being rerouted from the incident location in Tooele County to dispatchers in Salt Lake County then back to the responding agencies. The sheriff said municipalities aren’t upset about the service from Tooele County dispatch but are frustrated with the money coming out of their general fund, which has prompted them to look at cheaper options.

“They’ve gone and assigned a price to public safety,” Wimmer said.

After its month-and-a-half investigation, COG is expected to revisit the possibility of a dispatch special service district next month, Wardle said. Any final decision by COG to pursue a ballot measure will not be made until July.

A trial has been set in a case involving a Tooele man charged with sexual assault and domestic violence.

Wayne Lee Morrison, 45, is charged with first-degree felony object rape and second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse, as well as misdemeanor counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child and unlawful detention.

During an arraignment Tuesday in 3rd District Court, Morrison was scheduled for a pretrial conference on July 26 at 9 a.m. and a jury trial on Aug. 10 at 9 a.m., both before Judge Robert Adkins.

In court Tuesday, Morrison’s attorney, Kevin Vander Werff, requested a reduction in bail or to have an ankle monitor installed, but the court denied both motions. Morrison is being held in the Tooele County Detention Center on $100,000 bail.

According to a probable cause statement from the Grantsville City Police Department, Morrison came over to the victim’s house to exchange some property and a conversation escalated into an argument. The victim said Morrison became angry, pushed her down and attempted to rip her clothes off.

Morrison then began to sexually assault the victim, who said Morrison also grabbed and bit her, the statement said.

The victim’s son intervened when he heard his mother yelling and was able to stop the assault, police said. Even after the assault ended, the victim alleged Morrison would not let her leave the home.

For several hours, Morrison remained in the victim’s home, according to the probable cause statement. The victim used her phone to record her conversation with Morrison following the assault.

When police contacted Morrison, he denied the allegations but was taken into custody and booked into jail.

When Grantsville City Police Officer Alison Peterson arrived early Wednesday morning at the Dead Dog Saloon with the Special Olympics torch, she couldn’t hide her excitement, despite coming off the evening shift.

Area law enforcement officers have been joining the Tooele County Giants Special Olympics team for nearly a decade to run the torch through Grantsville, Stansbury Park and Tooele. Peterson takes the lead on organizing the event and said the athletes were already clamoring to run when she dropped off shirts earlier this week.

“They live for it; it’s their thing,” she said. “They love it.”

The feeling from local police agencies is mutual. Officers from Tooele and Grantsville, as well as Tooele County Sheriff’s deputies, were out in force to run with the athletes and provide an escort with patrol vehicles and the sheriff’s mobile command center.

“As an officer, it’s what we look forward to every year,” Peterson said.

The first leg of the run finished at Grantsville City Hall, where donuts and water were waiting after nearly 2 miles of running. Luckily the Tooele County Giants, now in their 10th season, boasted a roster of decorated runners.

The team’s leader, Cheri Gunderson, highlighted several athletes, who were excited for the torch run and the Utah Special Olympics, which kick off June 10 at Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah County.

Ben Reistetter went to the national Special Olympics competition for bocce last year, Cameron Gunderson won the gold medal in the 200 meters at the regional competition, and Ben Reistetter is running four mid-distance events this year.

Gunderson said Anne Rosales, who runs long distance events on the track, completed her first marathon in the past year. Tina Adams, a spring specialist, said she was excited to have a second opportunity to complete the torch run.

“I think it’s great to run with them and have a good time,” Adams said. “I like to hold the torch.”

As the procession of dozens of Special Olympic athletes, law enforcement officers and supporters ran down Main Street in Grantsville, they were greeted by cheers from students at Grantsville Elementary School, some brandishing paper torches. Last year the torch run took place after the end of the school year, so students weren’t there to see, and support, the event.

We go by all the schools and try to really focus it … so other people can see we’re running and showing our support for the Special Olympics and hopefully they see it,” said Chief Deputy Sheriff Brian White.

In Stansbury Park, the run began at Stansbury Elementary School and finished at Rose Springs Elementary. Tooele County Sheriff Deputy Jim White, who organized the Stansbury Park route, said he has a long history of participating in torch runs.

“We’ve been doing it for years,” he said. “The kids that ran with us for years, for every time we’ve done it, it’s a great opportunity to get to know them on a more personal level.”

Due to construction on Main Street, the torch run altered its route last year, but was back to its typical route Wednesday. Runners started at Home Depot at 2400 North and headed south along SR-36 into Tooele, ending at the Veterans Memorial Park at the intersection of Main and Vine streets.

Runners finished at the park with pizza and drinks, donated by Domino’s and Macey’s, respectively. The Tooele City Police Department organized the final leg of the torch run.

“It’s an honor for us, really, to be able to run beside these athletes and celebrate their courage and hard work,” said Tooele City Police Officer Tanya Turnbow. “They make us really proud.”

The seniors at Dugway High School took center stage one final time at the new school’s auditorium during its graduation ceremony Wednesday afternoon.

The 16 graduates were the first class to graduate from the new $19 million Dugway High School building, which opened in January and houses students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

While the new building lent a modern feel to the proceedings, the graduation ceremony took the traditional tack of looking to the past. Former Dugway High School Principal Robin Nielson, who retired in 2015 and was the guest speaker for the ceremony, took note of the new surroundings.

“This building is absolutely gorgeous and it is a credit to Dugway High School, Dugway Proving Ground and the Tooele County School District,” she said.

Due to her recent departure from the school, Nielson was very familiar with the class of 2016. She said the seniors were defined by their participation, talkative nature and sense of humor at the remote high school.

“One thing, class of 2016, your high school experience has been very unique,” Nielson said. “You’ve been through a high school where you know everybody by name … You’ll never again be in a place where people love and take care of you like you have at Dugway.”

Cynthia Kimler, the class valedictorian, agreed the class had a reputation for terrorizing teachers with their talking but were tight-knit, with half of the class staying together since fifth grade.

“So, my fellow graduates, even though this might seem like the end, it’s really just the beginning,” she said. “The beginning to becoming the people we strive to be, to achieve the things we truly believe in and to show everyone that we can do anything and everything.”

Salutatorian Kassidy Christensen thanked all of the teachers, faculty, students and families that helped and supported the senior class through their high school years. She cautioned her classmates that they hadn’t arrived yet, however.

“Class of 2016, I’m not going to say we’ve made it, because we have many challenges coming our way,” Christensen said. “But I know whatever we set our mind to we can do, and be successful in, especially with such good roots to hold us down.”

Following the awarding of diplomas, there was a video presentation that showed pictures of each of the graduates from their youngest days through graduation. Graduates were also given flowers that they presented to family members in the crowd that helped and encouraged them along the way.

This Memorial Day, Vernon residents took another significant step toward the completion of their first veterans memorial.

The project officially broke ground Monday, as the vision of Sharleen Manzione took another step toward realization. Manzione came up with the idea for the memorial after noting a number of monuments to veterans in small towns during a trip to visit her daughter, who joined the Air Force in 2013.

About 200 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony Monday, including Vernon Mayor Bruce Thomas and Tooele County Commissioners Myron Bateman, Wade Bitner and Shawn Milne.

Through fundraising efforts in the community, mainly with craft sales, 5K runs and similar events, Manzione said Vernon residents have raised more than $23,000 for the construction of a granite monument.

“I had a little idea and it went so much further,” she said. “It’s going to be a credit to the community.”

The memorial will be located just in front of the town’s cemetery and will feature three walls. The middle wall will identify the memorial, which honors Vernon veterans of all wars, while the two outside walls will contain the names of those who have served.

Manzione said the names will be etched in the granite, allowing relatives to come and record the name of their veteran through a charcoal rubbing. Last November, there were already the names of 122 veterans slated to appear on the walls.

In addition to donations from private citizens, Manzione said Ensign Engineering donated in-kind services, the Wal-Mart distribution center made a donation and the local 4-H and Boy Scout troop helped raise funds.

The conceptual drawings of the memorial were completed last year and construction costs of the monument were estimated at $15,000. The 12-member fundraising committee for the project hoped to raise more than $20,000 to prepare for cost overruns and additional money for landscaping and additional expenses.

The town just posted the request for proposals and will select a company for the final construction of the memorial, which is to be completed over the summer. Manzione said the hope had been to finish the work by Fourth of July, but it will likely be a slightly later date at this point.

For Veterans Day and future celebrations of the nation’s servicemen and servicewomen, however, the memorial will be complete, according to Manzione.

Manzione said the committee is still accepting fundraising money toward the completion of the project. Donations can be submitted to Thomas or Manzione and should be made out to the Town of Vernon.

The Stansbury Park Service Agency is going through some growing pains as it considers policies that dictate use of the community’s lake and where food vendors will be permitted to operate.

During its meeting last Wednesday, the service agency board tackled more of the issues with use of the private Stansbury Lake, which has become increasingly popular with residents permitted to use it, and some unauthorized non-residents. Margo Huddleston, the co-owner of Stansbury Lake Paddlesports, brought up her concerns with nonprofits and other groups who were coming to her with requests to rent equipment to use on the lake.

According to Huddleston, the Tooele County Chamber of Commerce reached out to her about holding a kayak competition on Stansbury Lake as part of the organization’s Corporate Games.

Board chairman Neil Smart said he was supportive of local nonprofits using the lake, like local Boy Scout troops, but had questions about the chamber’s planned use of the lake. He said the chamber of commerce should speak with the service agency board about the specifics of the event before it could be hosted at the lake.

Board member Rod Thompson pointed out that the Stansbury Days triathlon uses the lake for the swim portion of the event. He also said the Corporate Games are primarily for Tooele County residents.

“I think we should look at it on a case-by-case basis,” Thompson said.

The service agency board addressed the lake use issue at several past meetings in the last few months. The current use policy only dictates that the lake is private and should only be used by residents and their guests.

Huddleston said that after Food Truck Fridays last year, which were hosted at the Stansbury Park Clubhouse parking lot, trucks loaded down with kayaks were coming to the lake. She said she didn’t believe they were residents but were people outside the community who came for the food truck event.

Huddleston also said high schools from Riverton and Park City reached out to her after Food Truck Fridays to rent equipment and go out on the lake, but she did not rent equipment to them.

Smart said the service agency will continue to work on crafting a policy that addresses who can use the lake and under what conditions.

“We definitely have it as something we’ve got to start figuring out because it’s going to get more and more popular,” Smart said. “So we want to control it for our residents and the nonprofits where it makes sense.”

The board also discussed limiting fishing near the more popular swimming areas on the lake due to safety concerns. While no final decision was made, the board specifically considered restricting fishing in the area from the gazebo to the boat ramp behind the clubhouse.

Concerns about food vendors in the community were also addressed during Wednesday’s meeting. Stansbury Park Service Agency manager Randall Jones said he had to ask a food truck to move after it set up on service agency property without permission in the past month.

The service agency allows a shaved ice shack to rent space in the clubhouse parking lot during the summer, with a daily rent of $25. While the arrangement has been in place for several years, it is renewed annually and doesn’t address other food vendors using service agency property.

“The issue that you have is you’ve allowed a food cart,” Jones said. “So you’ve opened a door. You’ve got to be careful about how you proceed.”

Food trucks set up on private property or a public easement are not prohibited as long as they are located along public access, like a sidewalk, and do not impede traffic, Jones said.

Smart suggested determining which parking lots could hold a food vendor based upon the number of parking spaces available.

“If you want to move ahead and allow this sort of thing, you could set a policy and we will allow one per site, so that we don’t have five trucks pulling up,” Jones said.

Thompson said Stansbury Park may be at the point where the service agency sets a number of places for vendors and they are bid out at the beginning of the year.

Further discussion on the food vendor policy was tabled until the next meeting for the service agency, which is June 8 at 7 p.m. in the Stansbury Park Clubhouse.

The creativity and wit of the Stansbury High School class of 2016 were on display during their graduation ceremony Friday evening at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on the University of Utah campus.

While the ceremony followed the usual tropes of high school graduations with speakers, performances and cap tossing, the seniors injected some of their personality into the proceedings.

The class of 338 graduates also showed its academic strength by earning $3.4 million in scholarship money.

Maggie Beazer and Rachel Payne were recognized as co-valedictorians for the class after both achieved the highest scores ever seen at Stansbury High, according to Stansbury High principal Gailynn Warr. The scores take into account graduates’ grades, the difficulty of their classes and their college assessment test scores.

Beazer, Payne and salutatorian Nathaniel Johansen all addressed their classmates, families and friends gathered at the athletic center.

Beazer, who will attend Harvard for chemistry, explored the reality of high school compared to the way the experience is portrayed in popular culture through shows like “One Tree Hill” and “Boy Meets World.”

“High school is not always Friday night lights, or pep rallies, or talking at your best friend’s locker,” she said. “We got those sugary, All-American moments in doses, but not as often as TV would have us believe.”

In her address, Beazer also spoke about the importance of having a mentor like she had in Stansbury High cross country coach Steve Allen, who she said helped her gain confidence in herself as an athlete and person. She also acknowledged the challenges her classmates have faced and will continue to face in the future.

“Maybe for some of us the storyline seems abstract, or it’s still ongoing,” she said. “That’s completely fine too. It’s not always easy to find a concise moral lesson when you’re going through something hard. This isn’t Full House.”

Payne challenged herself through a full Dr. Seuss-inspired address that described the importance of finding love for yourself and being a positive force despite the potential pitfalls the graduates would need to consider in their personal and professional lives.

In addition to keeping with his signature rhyme pattern, Payne also included a few of Seuss’s trademark made-up words while laying out a clear message.

“They say that the trick is to just love yourself, believe you can do it in spite of everyone else,” she said. “A love for a challenge, a boisterous path, a love for yourself and for people that pass, will get you ahead in the world, just you wait, soon you’ll be knocking on Bill Gates’ gate.”

Johansen started his address with a profession of his love for the people of Stansbury High, before sharing the value that he’s found in doing quality work in everything he does.

“You become your best by doing good work,” he said. “In a world where hard work, and the potential of the hard worker, are lazily ignored in the pursuit of quick and easy, I have found good work is the only work worth doing and being the best me, is the only me worth being.”

Johansen said he found success, including being named salutatorian of his class, through focusing on going above the bare minimum.

“I’ve found every good thing in my life — every joy, every satisfaction — in doing more than was asked of me, in doing good work,” he said.

Senior Jaedri Wood also spoke and poked fun at graduation speakers praising individuality at a ceremony when everyone is wearing the same cap and gown. She also discussed the real value of a diploma and emphasized the spontaneous nature of life, especially outside the confines of high school.

“After all, life is an improvisation,” Wood said. “You have no idea what’s going to happen next and you will most likely be making stuff up as you go along. So seniors, go out and be successful, but don’t buy society’s materialistic definition of success, because it’s not working for anyone.”

Warr also got creative during her address to graduates, in which the principal took a peek into the minds of graduates through the characters of Pixar’s 2015 film, “Inside Out” — Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear. Warr emphasized finding a sense of well-being in a world when no one has enough time to do the things they need to do.

“So graduates, find that sense of well-being,” she said. “Embrace all of your emotions because those are what make you the amazing and wonderful person that I have grown to know and love over the past few years.”

Before the presentation of diplomas, the senior ensemble choir performed the song “Breaking Free” from “High School Musical” and Conner Clark played “Waterfall” by Jon Schmidt on the piano.

A Tooele High School student suffered unsurvivable injuries in a single vehicle rollover accident on SR- 73 Tuesday evening, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.
The blue passenger car was traveling westbound near mile marker 3 on SR-73 around 10:30 p.m. at a high rate of speed, before it drifted toward the shoulder of the road, UHP said. The driver lost control of the vehicle when it left the roadway and overcorrected, causing the car to slide sideways and roll down the right shoulder.
Sydney Naylor, 16, suffered severe head trauma after she was ejected. She was flown by medical helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake, where it was determined she had no brain activity but was still breathing, according to UHP.
A male passenger was also thrown from the vehicle and transported by medical helicopter to Intermountain Medical Center with back and neck injuries, UHP said.
Two other occupants of the car were transported by ambulance with minor injuries and one was released at the scene of the accident, according to UHP. Only two of the five occupants were wearing seat belts.
Speed is viewed as the only factor in the accident at this time, according to UHP. Also, no charges or citations are currently expected as a result of the crash.

A Tooele man pleaded guilty to assault and inciting a riot in Third District Court Tuesday morning.

Zacary David Bullock, 19, pleaded guilty to amended charges of misdemeanor aggravated assault and riot, which were both reduced from third-degree felonies before Judge Robert Adkins.

The charges against Bullock stemmed from a May 8 fight at Elton Park in Tooele between Bullock and five other men, according to a probable cause statement from the Tooele City Police Department.

When police arrived at the scene of the fight, two men were questioned, including one who suffered injuries that were inflicted upon them by Bullock, who was armed with brass knuckles. The man had a bloody nose and large laceration on the back of his head, the statement said.

Bullock admitted he had struck the victim repeatedly in the head during the fight but claimed his actions were in self-defense because the other men were armed with a large wrench, a knife and a baseball bat, according to the probable cause statement.

A witness to the fight, however, said Bullock showed up to the fight and yelled that he was going to kill the other men. The witness also said Bullock was the aggressor in the fight before he struck the victim repeatedly.

Bullock is scheduled to appear again in Third District Court for sentencing on July 19 at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Robert Adkins.

The Tooele man who engaged police in a series of brief, high-speed chases in Grantsville City limits in March was sentenced to 36 months probation in 3rd District Court Tuesday.

Camron Romero, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree felony failure to stop or respond at the command of police and one count of misdemeanor reckless endangerment during an April 12 court appearance.

Judge Robert Adkins suspended Romero’s potential prison sentence of up to five years for the felony charge, as well as up to one year in the county jail for the misdemeanor, in favor of probation.

Additional charges against Romero for assault, failure to stop or respond at the command of police, possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless driving and an accident involving property damage were previously dismissed.

On March 8, Romero evaded Tooele County Sheriff’s deputies and Grantsville City police officers in a brief chase that ended with him crashing and abandoning his white Camaro.

Deputies had run Romero’s plates and found an outstanding warrant for trespassing and he fled the scene after they made initial contact.

The chase began at a trailer park on West Clark Street and continued down Clark Street, reaching speeds over 90 mph, prompting deputies to terminate the chase due to safety concerns.

After turning onto Main Street, a Grantsville City police officer continued the pursuit until the intersection of Erda Way and Sheep Lane, with Romero going over 100 mph as the chase left town.

Romero later crashed on Bates Canyon Road in Erda and got a ride from a local resident to Tooele. Tooele City police eventually tracked him down 11 days later on Salton Street after he was recognized by a patrol officer.

For the second time this year, thousands of lanterns will illuminate the sky over Utah Motorsports Campus after the event was approved by the Grantsville City Council on Wednesday.

The Lantern Fest, which hosted similar events in May and last September, is slated to run on Aug. 20 at the racing complex. During the festival this spring, more than 7,000 people attended, according to Grantsville Mayor Brent Marshall.

The event donates a portion of its proceeds to the nonprofit Angels of America’s Fallen, an organization that provides positive mentoring and developmental activities for children of military, police and first responders who die in the line of duty.

While no representatives from The Lantern Fest attended Wednesday’s meeting, Grantsville Fire Marshal Kent Liddiard said he was “lukewarm” to a reprisal of the lantern launch, but the previous events had gone off without a hitch. He said firefighters from Grantsville and Tooele fire departments, as well as the North Tooele Fire District, would patrol areas for lanterns as they came down to monitor for fire hazards.

“If we impose the same launching conditions on them as far as wind speed that we have on the others, they should be dead when they hit the ground,” Liddiard said. “And anything that does come down should be able to be quickly put out.”

Grantsville Councilwoman Jewel Allen asked if event organizers had been cooperative with wind restrictions in the past. The city required The Lantern Fest to terminate the launch if wind speeds got too high, due to the potential of lanterns ending up outside of the launch areas.

“If you don’t impose the wind speed conditions on it, you can’t get the lanterns into the air anyways, and it’s a failure regardless,” Liddiard said. “As long as the wind speed is within clearance, it goes well. If the wind speed is too high, you can’t get them to launch.”

Marshall said the higher winds could blow the paper into the flame, which prevents the lantern from floating into the sky.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center’s fire potential outlook released in May, the wildfire potential in Utah is expected to be average across the summer months of June, July and August.

The first Lantern Fest was held at Bonneville Seabase last September, but event organizers moved to UMC due to its better amenities and ability to host more people.

Passes for the lantern festival begin at $25 and become progressively more expensive as the event draws nearer, with the same pass costing $50 the day of the event. The pass includes a lantern, marker, lighter and s’mores kit.

The Tooele County community has rallied around the family of Sydney Naylor, the Tooele High School student who suffered unsurvivable injuries in a single-vehicle rollover accident Tuesday evening.

There will be a candlelight vigil for her at Deseret Peak Complex softball field #3 tonight at 9 p.m., which is open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to wear purple or gold.

A GoFundMe page has also been created for Naylor’s family under the title “Love for Sydney,” at gofundme.com/27durf9t. In less than 24 hours, more than $4,800 had been raised by 92 donors toward a goal of $10,000.

Posts on social media also showed other tributes for Naylor, including a moment of silence by Tooele County Girls Softball last night.

A Tooele High School student suffered unsurvivable injuries in a single vehicle rollover accident on SR-73 Tuesday evening, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.

The blue passenger car was traveling westbound near mile marker 3 on SR-73 around 10:30 p.m. at a high rate of speed, before it drifted toward the shoulder of the road, UHP said. The driver lost control of the vehicle when it left the roadway and overcorrected, causing the car to slide sideways and roll down the right shoulder.

Sydney Naylor, 16, suffered severe head trauma after she was ejected from the car. She was flown by medical helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake, where it was determined she had no brain activity but was still breathing, according to UHP.

A male passenger was also thrown from the vehicle and transported by medical helicopter to Intermountain Medical Center with back and neck injuries, UHP said.

Two other occupants of the car were transported by ambulance with minor injuries and one was released at the scene of the accident, according to UHP. Only two of the five occupants were wearing seat belts.

Speed is viewed as the only factor in the accident at this time, according to UHP. Also, no charges or citations are currently expected as a result of the crash.

For anyone who uses Craigslist and other classified sites, there is now a secure, public location to complete the transaction.

The Tooele City Police Department will now allow people exchanging goods to use its parking lot or lobby area to meet with the stranger and complete the transaction. The same locations can also be used in custody exchanges for parents with joint custody of their children.

The police department is offering the service in collaboration with SafeTrade, a program designed to establish safe exchange zones at law enforcement agencies around the country. According to the SafeTrade website, Tooele City is the first agency in the state to be certified with the program.

While Tooele City police have authorized the parking lot and lobby for exchanges, no police personnel are involved in facilitating or observing the transaction unless requested, according to Tooele City Police Officer Tanya Turnbow. The parking lot is under watch by security cameras, however, and officers at the station are nearby.

“We do have surveillance footage,” she said.

Turnbow said the department recommends people use the police lot for classified exchanges rather than do it at their home to prevent a negative encounter. She cited a recent case in Utah, where a potential buyer took a motorcycle for a test ride and never came back.

“We’re offering for the public to use our parking lot for trades and exchanges,” Turnbow said.

The only caveat to the exchanges is the police department recommends only conducting a trade in the parking lot during daylight hours, for the safety of the parties involved, according to Turnbow. Even during evening hours, the parking lot can be used, especially in the case of custody exchanges that may happen after parents have gotten out of work for the day.

The Dugway Police Department held its annual gala on May 27 honoring its best officers with awards for their service.

Three Dugway Police officers and a dispatcher were honored for their contributions to the department at the gala, which was held at the Buca di Beppo restaurant in Fort Union. Dugway Director of Emergency Services Phillip Fishbeck served as the keynote speaker and applauded the department employees’ commitment to serve and protect the community.

Fishbeck also lauded the department’s cooperation with other law enforcement agencies in the area and its work to make Dugway a safer place to live.

Officer Josh Greenhalgh received the top award as Officer of the Year due to the numerous times he went above and beyond in his assignments within the department, Fishbeck said.

“Officer Greenhalgh sets a great example for other officers with his work ethic and quiet leadership,” he said. “He rarely asks for supervisors’ help and is there to help others when needed.”

Fishbeck had similarly high praise for Lt. Jeremiah Johnson, who was the recipient of the Security Officer of the Year award, for his communication with the officers he supervises.

“He has a positive attitude toward his work, which motivates his officers to follow his lead,” Fishbeck said. “He has earned the respect of the officers, other supervisors and civilians throughout the police department.”

For her contributions, Jessica Hansen was named the Dispatcher of the Year. Fishbeck said she was one of the most effective dispatchers and has become a great resource for officers and fellow employees alike.

“She is very helpful, highly efficient and contributes her talents in a true professional manner,” Fishbeck said. “Mrs. Hansen always has a great attitude and (is) easy to get along with.”

The final award of the night, the Chief’s Award, was given to Officer Christopher Knight by Fishbeck.

“Officer Knight has the reputation of being hardworking, dedicated and willing to go above and beyond to help whenever and wherever needed,” he said. “He always volunteers for collateral assignments and is motivated every day.”

Each award recipient received a plaque and a garrison coin from Dugway Garrison Manager Don Smith. While presenting the coins, Smith said he was proud of the police department and expressed the gratitude of the community.

In addition to the awards and dinner, attendees watched a video slideshow of the department’s accomplishments and noteworthy moments in the past year.