Roadways connecting Dugway Proving Ground from the north and east will be given new life through a pair of resurfacing projects.

Two Utah Department of Transportation projects, which began on Monday, will replace the road surface and widen the shoulder of SR-199 and SR-196. The goal of the construction is to improve the overall road and its longevity, UDOT stated in a release from last Thursday.

Construction crews began work on removing and replacing asphalt along SR-199 on Monday and paving on SR-196 will start at milepost 24 and head southbound beginning Wednesday. Some spot repair work was already underway prior to the beginning of the project, according to UDOT.

While only a portion of SR-196 will be resurfaced during the project, the entirety of SR-199 from the gate at Dugway to the intersection with SR-36 will be affected. Road construction work on SR-199 will begin between mileposts 10 and 16 and both projects are expected to continue through October.

UDOT will use hot-in-place asphalt recycling to conserve materials and decrease disruptions. The technique involves heating the top layer of the road surface and mixing it with additional materials, according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. The blended materials are then compacted and reapplied on the roadway.

In road construction areas, both roads will be reduced to a single lane with flaggers for stretches of about a mile. UDOT said it only anticipates delays of up to 15 minutes in its Thursday release.

Road work is expected to occur Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

To receive updates on the progress of the construction projects on SR-196 and SR-199, email sr199@utah.gov or call the hotline at 888-556-0232.

As the last rays of daylight slipped over the horizon, two softball games continued under the lights at Deseret Peak Complex Thursday night.

The sounds of the game provided the backdrop for friends, family and teammates who gathered to celebrate the life of Sydney Naylor. Attendees held whatever candle they could find to bring with them — long candles, tea lights and electric candles — and most wore purple or gold.

Her closest friends and family wore white or black T-shirts with “Naylor” and her softball number, 1, in gold on the back. The front was emblazoned with #LiveLikeSyd, which accompanied the social media posts remembering Naylor’s life.

Naylor, 16, had just completed her sophomore year at Tooele High School when she and four friends were involved in a single-vehicle rollover accident the evening of May 31 on SR-73. She suffered injuries that were not survivable, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.

One of Naylor’s best friends, Mercy DeRyke, was the first to speak about the effect Naylor had on the lives of the more than 100 attendees at the vigil.

“I know that she impacted every single one of our lives and that she would be so happy right now, to see everyone here,” DeRyke said. “She was such an amazing person and she brought happiness everywhere she went.”

While the vigil had moments of reflection and more than a few tears, there were as many times where the attendees laughed at the funny memories of Naylor shared by her friends. Sydney Turnbow, another one of Naylor’s best friends, quipped that Naylor would have loved the vigil because she enjoyed being the center of attention.

“I don’t remember having a bad day with her,” Turnbow said.

The myriad stories shared about Naylor described how funny and compassionate she could be. Attendees told anecdotes that ranged from her distaste for cubed ham to cheering up a classmate by singing “You Are My Sunshine” to them.

Mikenzie Summers described Naylor, her younger sister, as sassy and hardworking, both in overcoming her struggles with math to get good grades and improving her skills at softball after picking up the sport a few years ago.

“I don’t want you guys to think that she was absolutely perfect, because she wasn’t,” Summers said. “She had struggles, but the difference was that if she wasn’t always naturally good at something … she tried really hard.”

Even those who didn’t know her well said Naylor made a strong impression on them. JoAnn Vega, whose daughter Sydney Vega played with Naylor, shared her memory of Naylor from softball games.

“She was way out on right field and all I saw when she was coming forward was her great smile,” Vega said. “I didn’t know Sydney well, but just seeing her smile was awesome. It lit up my life.”

Marc and Kristine Naylor, Sydney’s parents, expressed their gratitude for those who came out to support the family and remember their daughter.

“Thank you for coming,” Kristine Naylor said. “We appreciate it so much, to know how many of you loved Syd.”

There was also an additional vigil on June 1 and the “T” overlooking the city was lit in honor of Sydney Naylor on Sunday. Funeral services for Naylor were held Monday at the Tooele South Stake Center. A GoFundMe page for Naylor’s family has raised $7,475 in five days.

As the days get hotter and longer, a strange thing happens with the radio in my car on the commute to work.

While it still plays a good amount of National Public Radio, especially in the mornings, sometimes I hear something that isn’t Doug Fabrizio and Diane Rehm. It’s got a little bit of twang and there’s a mention or two of pickup trucks.

I feel music plays an important role as the soundtrack of our lives. I know I’m not the only person who has heard a song that seemed to blend perfectly with our activity or surroundings.

As someone who grew up in rural America, there’s nothing that quite captures the experience during those lazy summer days like country music. When you grow up driving past dairy farms and corn fields on the way to school every day, songs about dusty country roads and swimming in a creek resonate with you.

While I’m predominantly a seasonal country music listener now, I was a big fan early on. When I was really young, I had a homemade wooden toy guitar and would serenade my family with a toddler’s rendition of Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart.”

I love small towns at any time but they really come into their own during those hazy summer months. The rest of the world slows down in the heat, matching the more leisurely pace that rural communities chug along at throughout the year.

Summers in New York were filled with stifling humidity, where you’d sweat just by existing and hiding in the shade provided little relief. You’d have to wear old jeans in the woods on even the hottest days, to keep the deer ticks and pricker bushes off your legs.

Evenings gave a little respite from the heat, with the long days allowing for stargazing and watching fireflies in the field in front of the house. In addition to the county and state fairs, you could entertain yourself at the local dirt modified stock car races or the drive-in movie theater a few towns over.

Summer also brought out the seasonal ice cream shops, which would open on Memorial Day and close around the start of school. These were a great place to run into friends and acquaintances while enjoying a chicken spiedie sandwich, waffle fries and a large chocolate/vanilla twist.

The long days and hot weather meant family barbecues and playing catch with my dad while the charcoal briquettes heated up to a molten red. It also meant lemonade, homemade potato salad and baked beans covered in bacon.

Another big difference with summers in New York were the violent summer thunderstorms, where you could sit under cover and watch the lightning hit the hilltops all around you in the torrential rain.

I reconnected with country music in the summers before my junior and senior years of high school when I worked at the town pool as a lifeguard. Our shift managers ruled the sound system and I grew to appreciate a new generation of country music and classic southern rock, like Lynyrd Skynyrd, while I sat in the sun, slowly baking to golden brown.

In my first job out of college, I worked at a small paper in upstate New York and lived in a tiny apartment with no air conditioning over a bar called Malarkey’s. It was another rural town and I started listening to country music in the summer in the car because it just fit with where I lived, and where I was in my life.

Now I still turn on the country as I make the commute into Tooele County. The landscape out here couldn’t be more different, with tall mountain peaks and wide, flat valleys, but I still feel that summertime connection.

There is something to all this talk of dry heat, which I’m thankful for. My wife loves Utah summers, which are longer, hotter and brighter than we had in New York.

If asked, I’ll always say that summer is my least favorite season. Fall and spring have more comfortable temperatures and I love winter snow and staying warm in the frigid temperatures.

When I’m going for a drive with the windows down and some country music on the radio, though, it reminds me that summer isn’t so bad.

A Tooele man faces attempted murder charges in 3rd District Court after he allegedly fired a handgun at another man during an argument at the 7/11 convenience store at 975 N. Main Street in May.

Vernal Wright, 38, has been charged with first-degree felony attempted murder; third-degree felony purchase, transfer, possession or use of a firearm by a restricted person and misdemeanor reckless endangerment.

Back on May 5, Wright and a female companion were in an argument with a 32-year-old male in the parking lot of the convenience store at 1:30 a.m., according to the Tooele City Police Department. Witnesses saw Wright and the woman leave the parking lot in a white Pontiac during the confrontation, which is when Wright allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired a single shot.

The bullet missed the victim, but Wright and the white Pontiac car left the scene, according to police. After the exchange, Tooele City police reported Wright as being armed and dangerous, while requesting aid from the public in spotting him or providing information on his possible location.

According to court records, the case against Wright was filed on June 2 and a cash bail warrant for him was ordered in the amount of $100,000. The warrant was recalled on Monday after Wright was arrested by Tooele City police and booked at the Tooele County Detention Facility.

Wright is scheduled to make his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on June 13 before Judge Robert Adkins.

Stansbury Lake remained a major talking point at the Stansbury Park Service Agency board meeting Wednesday night.

Board members approved the cost difference in upgrading the engine on its lake mower to a diesel engine, after the former has failed to work. The service agency board also approved language that could permit restrictions on fishing in designated areas on the lake.

Stansbury Park Service Agency manager Randall Jones said the old lake mower, which is used to cut down aquatic-based plant life, is also out of commission due to recurring hydraulic issues. The diesel engine for the new lake mower is expected to arrive before the end of the month and the installation costs will be covered by its warranty.

The delay in replacing the lake mower engine was the result of the lake mower manufacturer and engine manufacturer disagreeing on who should pay for it. Jones said the upgraded engine will cost $7,900 and has to be shipped from Canada.

The service agency board also discussed the old lake mower and whether it would be worth the cost of repairs, which could tally about $4,500. Jones said the old mower couldn’t be repaired and back in service quicker than it will take for the new mower to have the new engine delivered and installed.

After discussing possible fishing restrictions in popular swimming areas, the service agency board approved language that would allow for the establishment of restricted areas. Board chairman Neil Smart said the combination of people swimming and fishing on the docks behind the clubhouse create a situation where someone could be injured.

“While we don’t want to be completely restrictive with people fishing, we still want to kind of control it,” he said.

Jones said he hadn’t received any reports of swimmers being injured by fish hooks but said the conditions existed for it to happen.

“There are some days when there’s 12 to 15 fishermen out here and they’re casting around kids that are swimming,” he said. “Everyone’s having fun but it’s kind of dangerous.”

The additional language the board approved would prohibit fishing in restricted areas and require fishing be conducted in accordance with service agency rules. No areas have been designated as restricted yet, but the board did discuss the possible area that would be marked off for anglers.

The shoreline between the Stansbury Park Clubhouse outdoor restrooms and a point west of the new boat ramp was floated as the possible area that would prohibit fishing. Jones said the newly renovated shoreline has seen a lot of activity, especially on the weekends.

If that area is restricted to fishing, Jones requested the service agency put up signs that mark the boundaries of the no-fishing zone.

“If you want to separate fishing and swimming, and that’s your decision, then you have to have a rule and I have to be able to enforce it,” he said.

Smart also brought up the idea of requiring fishing permits to use the private, catch-and-release lake. Board member Mike Johnson said the fee shouldn’t be more than $5 to cover the cost of the waterproof permit and increased enforcement of the community’s lake use policy.

The permits would be an opportunity to educate users on where they would be allowed to fish, if a restricted area is created, Smart said. Residents wouldn’t need a state fishing license on the lake if the permits were approved.

A portable classroom building at Sterling Harris Elementary was severely vandalized earlier this week, and now school officials and Tooele City police are looking for the perpetrators.

The modular portable classroom buildings had not been connected yet, which left only plastic sheeting to protect the interior. The vandalism, which may have occurred Monday, came only days after the two halves of the building were dropped off at the elementary school on June 1, according to Steve West, Tooele County School District’s construction supervisor.

“We just dropped this off,” he said. “This is a brand-new building.”

Inside both halves of the building, which will house two classrooms next year, the vinyl-coated gypsum wallboard was marred with repeated kick marks. In addition to the gashed walls, bits of the wallboard covered the floor.

Window frames were also damaged, and the thermostat in one room was ripped off the wall and thrown on the ground. Vandals also used permanent marker to deface one of the circuit breakers in the rear of the building.

The school didn’t purchase the portable classroom but was leasing it for one year, West said. Now the company leasing the building will have to repair the damage and bill the school district for the cost, he said.

The cost of a new portable classroom building is approximately $140,000, according to West.

If the culprits are caught, the school will press for them to pay restitution to offset the cost. If that doesn’t happen, the school district will likely have to pay for the repairs through its insurance provider, he said.

The vandalism marked the latest in a string of incidents that resulted in damage of district property. West said one of the school district’s maintenance trucks was stolen and found on its side in Middle Canyon by police, and windows were broken at Northlake Elementary recently.

“We just want some community help to see if we can look into this and catch them,” West said.

Tooele City police are still investigating the break-in and vandalism at the elementary school, according to Officer Tanya Turnbow. The case is expected to result in felony charges due to the extent of the damage, she said.

West said officers were able to find fingerprints on the portable classroom. The school district is offering a $100 reward for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators of the vandalism.

Anyone with information about the vandalism should contact Tooele County Dispatch at 435-882-5600.

The portable classroom will be used at Harris while the new Sterling Elementary is being built on the former East Elementary property. Students from East will attend Harris beginning this fall until the new school is finished.

A woman was struck by a train Monday evening in Tooele City just west of Tooele Boulevard and south of SR-112, according to the Tooele City Police Department.
The woman was struck around 7:40 p.m. in the Overlake area, said Tooele City Police Officer Tanya Turnbow. The victim was transported by medical helicopter to a Salt Lake area hospital in an unknown condition.
Tooele City police are investigating the cause of the accident, Turnbow said. More information about the accident will be posted on tooeleonline.com when it becomes available

A Grantsville man is facing aggravated assault charges after an altercation with his wife ended in him suffering a gunshot wound.

Lukasz Sordyl, 40, is charged with second-degree felony aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury and two counts of third-degree felony domestic violence in the presence of a child. He also faces misdemeanor counts of possession of a deadly weapon with intent to assault, assault and unlawful detention.

According to a probable cause statement from the Grantsville City Police Department, Sordyl admitted that on May 21 he was arguing with his wife while their two small children were home. He also said he physically restrained his wife and forced his way into the bathroom after she had attempted to hide from him there.

After his wife pushed him away, Sordyl retrieved a 9mm handgun from a closet near the bathroom, then loaded a magazine into the gun, the probable cause statement said. Sordyl then loaded a round into the chamber of the gun and pushed the stock of the gun toward his wife, while his hand remained wrapped around the barrel.

She pushed the gun away, which caused it to discharge the round, lodging the bullet into Sordyl’s hand and arm, according to the probable cause statement. In an interview with police, Sordyl admitted he wanted his wife to shoot him.

After Sordyl was transported to the hospital and later released, he was arrested by Grantsville City police.

During his initial appearance in 3rd District Court, Judge Robert Adkins set Sordyl’s bail at $10,000 and ordered he may have contact with his wife by email or text in regards to their children. He is expected back in court for a roll call hearing on July 5 at 9 a.m.

A Grantsville woman was charged in 3rd District Court after she allegedly stole a vehicle and attempted to escape from arresting officers earlier this month.

Jessica Shupe, 30, is charged with second-degree felony theft, third-degree felony escape from official custody and an additional misdemeanor theft charge for a June 6 incident which began in Grantsville City.

Grantsville City police responded to reports of a stolen vehicle and the vehicle owner said his relative, Shupe, had taken his car without permission, according to a probable cause statement. The victim said Shupe took the keys for the car, climbed into the vehicle, locked the doors and drove away.

The responding officer was later informed that Shupe and the stolen car had been located in Wendover, according to the statement. A Tooele County Sheriff’s deputy made contact with Shupe and she attempted to flee on foot and denied her identity before she was arrested and taken into police custody.

The sheriff’s deputy said he called Shupe by name and she denied her identity multiple times, the probable cause statement said. When the deputy attempted to arrest Shupe, she tried to flee and then later managed to slip out of the handcuffs.

When the deputy searched through Shupe’s purse, he found the victim’s wallet and keys following her arrest. She was transported to the Tooele County Dentention Facility and booked on the theft charges.

Shupe was slated to appear in 3rd District Court on Monday but her initial appearance was pushed out to July 11 following her release from jail. She is scheduled to appear on that date at 10:28 a.m. before Judge Robert Adkins.

A Tooele woman faces felony child abuse charges after a child under her care was found covered in bruises after he was dropped off at a daycare in Salt Lake City.

Christie Sommers, 53, is charged with second-degree felony child abuse, enhanced due to the seriousness of the inflicted injuries.

The Tooele City Police Department was notified of the injuries on the 3-year-old male victim after Sommers took him to daycare at the beginning of the month. The staff noticed the victim had bruising over most of his body and was in and out of consciousness, according to a probable cause statement.

The staff took pictures showing the victim with two black eyes, bruising behind both ears and on his legs and entire upper half of his back. He was taken by ambulance to Primary Children’s Hospital due to the severity of his injuries and lack of consciousness, the statement said.

Doctors at the hospital concluded the injuries could not be explained by a bruising condition or Sommers’ insistence the injuries were the result of being hit in the back of the head by a soccer ball about one week prior, according to the probable cause statement.

In February, police were called by a concerned resident who observed the same child with injuries consistent with those seen this month while in the care of Sommers, the statement said. During the investigation into that incident, Sommers claimed she only had custody of the child for four days because his parents were arrested and the bruising had already been there.

Police were able to contact Sommers and she was brought to the Tooele City Police Department where she invoked her Fifth Amendment rights. She was arrested and booked at the Tooele County Detention Facility on child abuse charges.

Sommers is scheduled to make her initial appearance in 3rd District Court on June 20 at 10:28 a.m. before Judge Robert Adkins.

The body of a missing woman was found in Bates Canyon yesterday evening, according to the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office.

The 62-year-old Stansbury Park resident had been reported missing and suicidal earlier that afternoon, according to the sheriff’s office. There was no obvious evidence of trauma or foul play.

The state medical examiner will make a determination in cause of death but there are some signs the woman died of an overdose, according to the sheriff’s office.

A woman was struck by a train Monday evening in Tooele City just west of Tooele Boulevard and south of SR-112, according to the Tooele City Police Department.

The woman was struck around 7:40 p.m. in the Overlake area, said Tooele City Police Officer Tanya Turnbow. The victim was transported by medical helicopter to a Salt Lake area hospital in an unknown condition.

Police identified the woman as a 41-year-old resident of Tooele City but no name has been released. Tooele City police are investigating the cause of the accident but believe the woman put herself in front of the train intentionally, Turnbow said.

There was no impairment to vehicle traffic as a result of the accident, which occurred south of the railroad overpass the cross over SR-112.

Another construction project on SR-36 that has slowed traffic heading both directions in the Lake Point area is scheduled for completion by the end of the month.

The Utah Department of Transportation project affects less than a mile of roadway between mileposts 63 and 65. Crews are constructing a northbound acceleration lane for vehicle traffic coming off Canyon Road.

The project has a $750,000 budget and was paid for with federal funds, according to UDOT. So far, project expenses have totaled about $96,796.

A recent study, completed by UDOT in June 2015, found the addition of an acceleration lane would create safer conditions for traffic merging onto SR-36, which has a speed limit of 60 mph at the intersection. There is no stop light at the intersection with Canyon Road.

The study found only two accidents occurred at the intersection with Canyon Road, but anticipated growth in northern Tooele Valley spurred demand for the lane, which allows vehicles to get up to speed before merging with traffic, according to UDOT Region 2 spokesman Agustin Avalos.

Paving on SR-36 began last Thursday and road work is expected to continue through June 25. The northbound outside lane was closed prior to paving while crews completed pavement milling and excavated the shoulder in preparation for widening the lane.

A Grantsville man faces felony charges after he fought with police officers attempting to arrest him for allegedly stealing an all-terrain vehicle.

Brock Richard Johnson, 37, is charged with first-degree felony disarming a police officer, third-degree felony assault by a prisoner and third-degree felony theft.

Grantsville City police were looking for Johnson after he was seen stealing an ATV on surveillance video the morning of June 10 near his home at 144 Durfee St., according to a probable cause statement. A neighbor contacted police around 10:30 p.m. that night when they saw Johnson at his residence.

Two officers responded to Johnson’s home to question him about the stolen vehicle following the call from his neighbors. Johnson said he didn’t take the ATV but officers said he changed his story several times, including claims that he owned the vehicle, the statement said.

When the officers told Johnson he was under arrest for theft, he attempted to get back into his home. The officers attempted to place Johnson in handcuffs but he resisted and struggled with officers, according to the probable cause statement.

Johnson began hitting and kicking the responding officers. He grabbed one officer’s groin, choked him with his badge lanyard, bit his arm and bloodied his nose, the statement said.

The officer who received the brunt of Johnson’s assault attempted to hit him with a Taser multiple times, despite the wires wrapping around the officer’s body. Neither the Taser or various submission holds seemed to affect him, according to the probable cause statement.

The other responding officer received bruises and scuff marks during the attempted arrest.

Additional units had to respond to subdue and arrest Johnson, who was transported to the Tooele County Detention Facility.

In an interaction with police the previous day when he was being transported to a local hospital for a mental evaluation, Johnson fought with officers and grabbed an officer’s gun before he could be restrained by several officers, the statement said.

Johnson is expected to make his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on June 20 at 10:28 a.m. before Judge Robert Adkins.

A project is currently underway to dispose of munitions containing mustard gas found scattered around the former Deseret Chemical Depot.

The recovered munitions were found after the chemical depot in Rush Valley became Tooele Army Depot-South back in July 2013 during environmental restoration projects.

A total of 235 munitions containing solid or liquid mustard agent were discovered on the grounds of the 19,000-acre complex and placed in secure storage at TEAD-S, awaiting destruction, according to a press release from TEAD.

The recovered materials include 193 4.2-inch mortars, 40 105mm projectiles and two 75mm munitions, the release said. Army experts tested all of the munitions, which were found to contain mustard gas, a chemical agent that causes blisters on the skin and eyes, as well as in the lungs.

Destruction of the munitions will be overseen by the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity Recovered Chemical Material Directorate, while Edgewood Chemical Biological Center will conduct the explosive system used for disposal. Both Edgewood and the directorate are housed at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

The destruction operations began Wednesday at TEAD-S with six of the 4.2-inch mortars. The main component of the system for disposing of the munitions is a sealed, stainless steel vessel that contains the blast, vapor and fragments from the detonation.

After each use of the chamber, operators must sample the residual air and liquid in the chamber prior to reopening it, the TEAD release said. The process required a permit from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, which was approved in April.

The process will take about one year to complete, with the anticipated completion set for early spring 2017.

More than a dozen guns stolen over the course of a year were sold to pawn shops in Tooele and Salt Lake counties, according to the Tooele City Police Department.

Of the 14 firearms that were stolen, the majority have been recovered but six were not found. Tooele City police are no longer looking for the remaining guns at the request of the original owner.

Tooele City police arrested Jarred Dees, 23, of Tooele, in connection with the thefts, which all occurred at the home of a relative living in Tooele. He was charged with five counts of second-degree felony theft.

According to a probable cause statement, the thefts were first reported this May after one of Dees’ relatives noticed the firearms were missing. Despite having no serial numbers for the stolen guns, Tooele City police were able to track down a number of them at various different pawn shops by searching pawn records under Dees’ name.

Dees cooperated with police after the thefts were discovered and spoke about the thefts during an interview at the Tooele City Police Department. According to the probable cause statement, Dees admitted to stealing the 14 firearms and pawning them to support his drug habit.

He also confessed that the thefts ranged from April 2015 through May of this year and were subsequently pawned over the same period of time, the statement said.

According to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, gun owners should report any missing or stolen firearms to local law enforcement agencies as quickly as possible. Local authorities should be contacted within 48 hours of the discovery of possibly stolen or missing guns.

The ATF also recommends calling the bureau’s stolen firearms program manager at 1-888-930-9275, who will assist local law enforcement. The bureau also provides a theft/loss report, which compiles information on the missing guns.

If a gun owner is looking for the serial number on one of their firearms, the ATF recommends contacting the dealer you purchased the gun from. There is no national registration system for firearms; Utah does not require residents to register their guns.

The Grantsville City Council met Wednesday with a Salt Lake Valley-based dispatch service to review a cost-saving alternative to using Tooele County dispatch for emergencies.

John Morgan, executive director of the Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communication Center, gave a brief presentation outlining the current users, administrative practices and costs for his agency.

VECC provides dispatch services for 20 municipalities in Salt Lake County, including South Salt Lake, West Valley City and West Jordan.

Morgan laid out the costs VECC charges its members, which is $9.27 per police incident and $32.33 for each fire call. The fee is based upon a three-year average of total service calls, with each agency paying based upon its usage.

Morgan said the difference in cost between police and fire or medical calls is the result of call volumes.

“If you look at the call volume for police and the number of police officers you have in each city and what have you, that’s going to divide into the cost of having dispatchers running the radio,” he said.

Tooele County Dispatch also uses a three-year average to determine the average number of calls each agency generates in a given year. All users pay a base fee of $752, which covers the first 50 incidents; each additional incident costs $15.04.

At the council’s May 18 meeting, Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall said the city would save more than $40,000 by switching to VECC instead of staying with county dispatch services.

Morgan said there would be some challenges in servicing Grantsville. The agency does not currently provide 911 services to any volunteer fire departments or Mountain West Ambulance, so any calls involving multiple types of first responders would likely need to be routed from VECC through the county’s dispatch system.

Marshall asked how much interruption in time there might be by using VECC instead of the county’s dispatch and Morgan said if the call comes directly to his agency, there shouldn’t be much delay. But if the call is routed through the county dispatch first, the person in need of help may need to repeat the initial information to two dispatchers if the call doesn’t arrive at the right service.

“There is a possibility there could be some delay,” Morgan said. “For the most part, it’s just the same as making a telephone call if we have everything aligned correctly.”

Councilwoman Jewel Allen asked about potential issues with dispatchers covering an area outside of Salt Lake Valley they may be unfamiliar with. Morgan said VECC dispatchers usually work the same area to gain familiarity, such as West Valley City having the same two dispatchers cover the city on each shift for familiarity.

“I would guess we would combine Grantsville with one of our other smaller agencies so that one dispatcher would be doing two different police departments,” Morgan said.

On the financial side, Morgan said VECC has only seen its operating budget rise about 2 percent annually over the past couple years. Despite turnover in dispatch jobs, the agency hasn’t increased its number of dispatchers since eliminating positions when Sandy left VECC in 2013.

“I looked the budget over,” Marshall said. “I thought it was really nice to be able to see all of the information in there being disclosed.”

Morgan said VECC did not seek out adding Grantsville as a member but the agency could add the city’s police department without hiring additional dispatchers. If that’s the case, Grantsville City wouldn’t be charged a $50,000 buy-in toward the cost of additional staff and equipment.

Grantsville City reached out to VECC after its dispatch fees from Tooele County increased by $22,000 for the new budget year. In 2015, the city paid $95,139 in dispatch fees; that figure will jump to $118,869 in 2016.

The Tooele County Council of Governments is in the process of reviewing a possible special service district to pay for the county’s dispatch services. If COG decides to move ahead with the special service district proposal, it could be on the November ballot.

After a month of minor tweaks, the Grantsville City Council approved a $4.8 million 2016-17 budget Wednesday that is similar to the one proposed by Mayor Brent Marshall on May 4.

The new budget represents a slight increase to the current year’s budget, with new spending totaling $62,542. The difference is about 1.3 percent.

The city’s certified tax rate came in slightly lower than anticipated at .002559 compared with .002585 from last year. Due to the lower rate, the city’s projected property tax revenue dipped by $26,258.

Marshall said the city balanced the decreased revenue with an increase of $25,000 in the city’s municipal energy sales tax, which was budgeted conservatively to avoid cuts in spending.

“We had the wiggle room on one of the revenue sides and that’s what we did,” he said, “we made that adjustment there on the revenue so it never affected any of the department’s budgets.”

The final budget already included about $27,000 in additional spending from Marshall’s budget address in May. The increased spending was offset by a $27,700 budgeted increase in the amount of prior year surplus.

In the final version of the budget, the city trimmed $17,000 in salary, benefits and health insurance in the parks and recreation department, which partially offset an additional $60,000 earmarked for historic preservation. Marshall discussed the efforts to repair the crumbling northern wall of the Donner Reed Museum during his report to the council, which is expected to cost between $65,000 and $85,000 for the exterior masonry work.

The 2016-17 budget also has an uptick in community relations spending from the city, with its commitment to donate $50,000 toward the new science and technology building at Utah State University – Tooele Regional Campus. The city agreed to donate $100,000 over two years to the university’s building, which was completed earlier this year.

The city will spend about $2.2 million on employee salaries and benefits in the 2016-17 budget, an increase of about $99,000. In the original proposed budget, employee salary and benefits were slated to jump up about $132,000 but projected expenses in streets, parks and recreation, and the cemetery were scaled back.

The budget was passed unanimously, with Councilwoman Krista Sparks absent, without much discussion from the council Wednesday night. The council had several work meetings devoted to the budget process prior to the final vote.

A fire destroyed an outbuilding at a home on Palmer Lane in Erda on Wednesday afternoon, with flames spreading to adjacent fields and a nearby shed.

The fire, which was reported around 3:50 p.m., was likely caused by the spontaneous combustion of hay housed in the outbuilding, according to North Tooele Fire District Chief Randy Willden.

A leak in the roof had moistened the hay and hot temperatures created conditions for a chemical reaction, causing the temperature of the hay to rise until it caught fire, he said.

There was no electrical wiring or signs of human activity that could have sparked the fire, Willden said.

Neighbors reported hearing explosions after the fire was reported and Willden said there were several small propane canisters, like those used for camping lanterns, which exploded and rocketed out of the outbuilding. One of the exploded canisters broke a skylight in the adjacent shed, he said.

The fire spread from the outbuilding and into nearby fields and the shed, but didn’t leave the owner’s property, according to Willden. The property owner may also have lost some turkeys that were in the outbuilding during the fire, he said.

Willden said it took more than two hours to contain the blaze, which continued to smolder after the building was completely destroyed. Neighbors turned on sprinklers to prevent the fire from spreading onto their properties, which could have reignited that evening from an ash pile or another source, Willden said.

In addition to damage to its plastic skylights, the nearby shed received minor damage and was smoking at one point. Willden said a man at the scene refused medical treatment for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters from NTFD and Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department responded to the blaze, as well as the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office and Utah Highway Patrol.

The Stockton man arrested June 22 for attempting to blow up a Bureau of Land Management facility pleaded not guilty to charges in U.S. District Court on Wednesday.

William Keebler, 57, is charged with one count attempting to damage federal property by use of explosives and one count of carrying a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. The charges each carry a minimum sentence of five years if convicted.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Warner set a tentative trial date for Keebler at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 12  before U.S. District Court Judge David Sam. Warner said it was likely the date would need to be moved and scheduled a status update hearing on July 29.

Federal prosecutor Andrew Choate told Warner there was a substantial amount of evidence in the case and not all of the prosecutor’s discoveries had been presented to Keebler’s public defender, Lynn Donaldson.

Donaldson said he would appeal the continued imprisonment of his client, who is being held in the Weber County Jail.

Keebler faces the federal charges after he attempted to detonate a pipe bomb at a cabin near the main BLM building at Mount Trumbull in Arizona on June 21, according to charging documents from the FBI. Keebler’s militia, the Patriot Defense Force, was infiltrated by undercover FBI employees for about a year.

One of the FBI operatives was tasked with making explosives by Keebler, to be used at a BLM facility in the “middle of nowhere.” According to the FBI, Keebler was present at the Bunkerville, Nevada standoff between cattle rancher Cliven Bundy and the BLM over unpaid grazing fees.

The federal agency also connected Keebler to Lavoy Finicum, who was killed by law enforcement officers during the Burns, Oregon standoff at a national wildlife refuge organized by the Bundy family in January.

Keebler selected the Mount Trumbull site as a target in May and asked the undercover FBI agent to create two bombs, one with remote detonation and the other with a time fuse. On June 21, an inert device was placed at the door of a cabin at the BLM facility and Keebler was given the remote detonation device.

He pressed the button several times with the intention of blowing up the inert explosives before the militia returned to Utah. The FBI arrested Keebler the following morning in Nephi and charged him attempting to damage federal property with explosives.