David Nutzman

The Stockton Town Council selected its newest member from a pool of four candidates during a meeting last Thursday.

David Nutzman was appointed to fill the remainder of the term vacated by current Stockton Mayor Thomas Karjola, which is up at the municipal elections in November 2019. Karjola was appointed to the mayor’s seat on Feb. 1 to replace former Stockton Mayor Mark Whitney, who resigned on Jan. 31, citing health concerns and the need for more time with family.

Nutzman also applied for the vacant mayor’s seat and received a vote from Town Councilman Nando Meli. Karjola was selected by a 3-1 vote of the council at the Feb. 1 meeting.

Nutzman was appointed in a 3-1 vote as well, with Steve Oblad receiving a vote from Town Councilwoman Judy Bori. Jill McAffee and Cliff Voss also applied for the vacant council seat with Oblad and Nutzman.

All four applicants were asked a series of questions by the town council and residents, which included identifying the three main concerns the town is facing and how the town’s borders may be affected by residential growth outside the town limits.

“I’m honored, obviously, but I think I bring a unique skill set that’s going to be able to help the town out in some of the stuff that we’re facing here in the next year or two,” Nutzman said.

Nutzman identified the town’s water system, which he described as “failing” and “not adequate,” as a major concern.

“The town doesn’t have the money that is needed, so we’re going to have to have some outside-of-the-box thinking and I’m an out-of-the-box thinker, generally,” he said.

During the April 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, six Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies responded within four minutes of the initial call.

After establishing a perimeter around the school, deputies exchanged fire with gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s report on the incident. A SWAT team finally entered the building two minutes before Harris and Klebold died by suicide, more than a half hour after the first student was shot and killed.

In the end, 13 people were killed and 21 were injured in the school shooting.

Tooele County Sheriff Paul Wimmer said tactics in an active shooting situation have changed in the nearly 19 years since Columbine.

“The typical protocol back in the day was when you had a major situation, you’d hold the scene and call SWAT out,” Wimmer said. “Well, in an active shooter situation, the damage is done in the first few minutes.”

Both Wimmer and Grantsville City Police Chief Jacob Enslen said case studies show that most shooters give themselves up or die by suicide when law enforcement officers are on scene. It’s the reason law enforcement in Tooele County and around the nation are now training officers to immediately enter the school and engage the gunman.

“We know that in an active gunman situation, it’s going to be whoever is closest is going to that school,” Wimmer said. “That’s not one where you wait for SWAT to go out.”

Tooele City Police Sgt. Tanya Kalma said school resource officers receive specialized training for working in schools, which can range from dress code violations and minor disputes to active shooter situations. If officers come in contact with a threat, they are trained to engage it, she said.

“Our officers are trained to stop the threat,” Kalma said.

During the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, a Broward County sheriff’s deputy and school resource officer waited outside the school for four minutes. Inside the school, 17 people were killed in the shooting, which lasted about six minutes, according to a preliminary timeline from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

“I would hope if there’s an active shooter incident taking place, any officer would go in and address the threat,” Enslen said.

“We don’t train that it’s an option to go in, we train that you go in,” Wimmer said. “We train that you go in alone, if need be. If there’s no one else there, you go in.”

County agencies, including the sheriff’s office, Grantsville City and Tooele City police, and Utah Highway Patrol, participate in annual training together, Wimmer said. Tooele County Sheriff Lt. Eli Wayman said the training focuses on getting in and addressing the threat and doesn’t use SWAT hand signals or other complicated communication for small two or three-member teams that might arrive at the shooting at the same time.

County law enforcement agencies train in Tooele County School District school buildings when class isn’t in session over Christmas or the summer break, Wimmer said. This builds familiarity with the layout of the schools and allows small teams or solo officers to practice clearing rooms.

County law enforcement has also trained with the virtual reality simulator operated by the Utah Attorney General’s office. Wimmer said the simulator adds the element of a full school with fleeing students and trains officers to identify shooters in the crowd.

The more realistic the training can be, the better equipped officers are to respond properly should a shooting occur, according to Wayman.

“In our training, we try to induce that level of stress and that kind of pressure so that it’s not a new thing should it ever actually happen,” Wayman said.

Members of the county’s SWAT team participate in more regular training and active shooter response is a primary focus, according to Wayman. Enslen said there is an upcoming training involving the county’s SWAT team that will feature non-lethal training ammunition.

Wimmer said the sheriff’s office meets with school district officials monthly to monitor the environment of the schools.

Enslen said meeting with the principals of the schools in Grantsville was an early priority of his tenure as police chief and he will be meeting with staff in the coming weeks to ensure everyone is on the same page in regard to lockdown procedure.

Local law enforcement also plan for large outdoor events and gatherings, such as Country Fan Fest or lantern festivals at Utah Motorsports Campus. Wayman said event security involves ensuring police are properly deployed to provide security in crowds of thousands.

“We try to place people in certain areas — ingress, egress points,” he said. “We just try to have people spread out enough so that if something was to go down, we’re able to respond very quickly.”

Wimmer said following the Oct. 1 shooting in Las Vegas, the county changed and upgraded its security for Country Fan Fest this year, with high-vantage observation towers and more roof checks on nearby buildings among the changes.

Kalma said that each new shooting provides more information to police on improvements they can make in responding to active shooter events. She said law enforcement must be flexible in their response to shooting incidents.

“As they’re changing and evolving, our response does as well,” Kalma said.

Active shooters are situations specific to law enforcement, whether it’s school shootings, domestic violence or workplace violence, Kalma said.

“We understand that’s part of why we do this job, to protect the safety of the public,” she said.

Enslen said officers must guard against a sense of complacency setting in, in regard to active shooting incidents.

“You’ve got to be vigilant,” he said.

Training is intended to keep officers prepared and sharp if a shooting happens.

“We pray none of this ever happens but we try to cover the full gamut of possibilities and at least have a game plan in place for it,” Wayman said.

When Matt and Darcy Horowitz make their now-annual return to Stansbury Park in May, it feels like coming home, to a place where their son is loved and remembered.

It will be no different this year, when they prepare to present the Jesse Horowitz “Do Great Things With Your Life” Scholarship on May 21 to a deserving Stansbury High School senior pursuing further education. Jesse Horowitz was expected to attend Dixie State University before his death in April 2014.

“It’s such a huge part of the healing for us to be able to go back,” Darcy Horowitz said. “Jesse’s birthday is May 23. He just missed his 18th birthday and so when we go back to present the scholarship, we also have a get-together and celebrate Jesse’s birthday and celebrate Jesse. It’s something I look forward to.”

Fundraising is already underway for the scholarship, including a GoFundMe campaign for the 2018 Jesse Horowitz Scholarship. Raising funds for the scholarship has been a positive experience, Matt Horowitz said.

“We get to come back to Stansbury — which I feel no matter where we are in the world, going back to Stansbury just feels like home,” he said. “The people there feel like family.”

The scholarship has also benefited Jesse’s friends and former classmates, according to Toni Broadhead, one of Jesse’s teachers and the Stansbury High Hope Squad advisor.

“I think it has been healing for students that knew Jesse and his friends and family,” she said.

Jesse always had a great attitude and was a great kid, and should be remembered for who he was, not the tragic way he died, Broadhead said.

“I think the Jesse Horowitz scholarship lets people do that,” she said.

The scholarship amount will depend on the fundraising efforts, with last year’s recipient awarded $5,000.

To be eligible for the scholarship, the applicant must be a senior at Stansbury High, with a 2.5 minimum GPA or consistent improvement, and be pursuing a post-secondary education. They must also show need for financial support, with extra consideration possible for a student planning to attend Dixie State University.

Requirements include a 3-6 page essay, a short explanation of financial need, two letters of recommendation and a brief outline of career and educational plans. Full details on the scholarship and applications are available from Mrs. Kristin Cavey in the counseling center or online at stansburyhigh.tooeleschools.org.

Students at Stansbury High School can apply for the scholarship through April 9.

Anyone looking to donate to the Jesse Horowitz Scholarship Fund can donate through the 2018 Jesse Horowitz Scholarship Fund GoFundMe page or by check to the “Jesse Horowitz Scholarship Fund” at Mountain America Credit Union or Stansbury High School.

In addition to monetary donations, people can contribute through their actions by helping someone in need or participating in the Hope Squad, Darcy Horowitz said.

“Anything that kids can do to befriend a kid, anything they can do to bring out in the open if someone is being bullied or if there’s going to be a fight going on, to tell somebody to try and keep this from happening again,” she said.

The Horowitzes now live in Illinois and are involved in the local chapter of Helping Parents Heal, a national support group for parents who have lost children. Darcy Horowitz is working with at-risk youth in the juvenile detention system, to help them think about choices and give them hope to change their lives.

While still processing their own grief, the recent vehicle accident death of Lincoln Powers, 19, a former Tooele High football star, has weighed heavily on the Horowitzes.

Matt Horowitz said the grief of losing a child is difficult to handle.

“You never think it’s going to happen and then when it does, there’s no playbook,” he said. “There’s no easy way out of this.”

Small bright spots, like recent social media posts and the support of Jesse’s friends, have been helpful for the couple, according to Darcy Horowitz.

“It just reminds me that Jesse’s spirit is still there helping these younger kids,” she said. “… It just warms my heart and takes the pain away for a little while.”

Jesse Horowitz was stabbed to death in April 2014 by Larry Beach, 21, in the aftermath of a fight involving Horowitz’s friend and Beach’s cousin.

Beach, of San Antonio, was sentenced to up to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony. As part of his plea deal with the state, Beach was sentenced for manslaughter but his terms will be served consecutively.

Jesse was a standout football player at Stansbury High School and viewed as a protector to other students who were subjected to bullying by other students, Darcy Horowitz said. Jesse planned to attend Dixie State University in St. George and play on the football team.

A Grantsville man is facing multiple felony charges after he was arrested for allegedly possessing hundreds of photos and videos of child pornography.

Michael Clausing, 27, is charged with 10 counts of second-degree felony sexual exploitation of a minor.

Tooele City police were notified on Feb. 5 by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user had uploaded several videos and images of child pornography to a Dropbox account, according to a probable cause statement. Clausing’s name was on the Dropbox account and the email used on the account was the same listed for Clausing on the sex offender registry.

Clausing was on felony probation at the time and is a registered sex offender. He pleaded guilty to second-degree felony sexual abuse of a child in March 2015

Clausing was then sentenced to one year in the Tooele County Detention Center and 36 months probation the following month. A possible prison sentence was suspended and he was given credit for 250 days previously served toward his one-year jail sentence.

After the report from NCMEC, a search warrant was obtained on Feb. 16 and executed on Feb. 21 by Tooele County SWAT and the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to the probable cause statement.

Clausing agreed to speak with investigators after being read his rights, the statement said. He admitted to looking at child pornography and told police it could be found on his phone and laptop.

ICAC agents located several hundred videos and images of child pornography on Clausing’s phone and laptop, according to the probable cause statement.

Clausing made his initial appearance in 3rd District Court before Judge Matthew Bates on Monday, where he was assigned an attorney and bail was set at $100,000. He is scheduled to return to court on March 6 at 9 a.m. for a scheduling conference.

The Salt Lake City man charged in a fatal accident on Interstate 80 in July 2016 has been sentenced to the Utah State Prison for up to five years.

Isaac James Hernandez, 29, pleaded guilty to an amended count of third-degree felony automobile homicide and third-degree felony driving under the influence during a Feb. 13 court hearing. Misdemeanor counts of DUI and obstructing justice were dismissed without prejudice as part of the plea deal.

Hernandez was sentenced to up to five years in prison on both counts, which will be served concurrently but consecutively to a separate case in Salt Lake County. In the Salt Lake County case, he was sentenced to 1-15 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree felony burglary on Feb. 9.

Charges against Hernandez in the automobile homicide case were filed in 3rd District Court on Jan. 8 in connection with a July 25, 2016, single-vehicle rollover near mile marker 77 on I-80, according to a probable cause statement.

The Honda Civic Hernandez was driving left the roadway and struck a two-post highway sign, according to UHP. The vehicle rolled several times and one occupant, 34-year-old Scott Newman, was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle and died on scene.

The three other occupants of the vehicle were restrained, with two transported by medical helicopter and one by ground ambulance, according to UHP.

Police observed Hernandez outside the vehicle, walking around frantically and troopers noticed a strong smell of alcohol on his breath, the probable cause statement said.

During their investigation, troopers noticed both front seat belts and one of the rear seat belts showed use, the statement said. Since Newman was ejected from the vehicle, investigators deemed it unlikely he would have been driving at the time of the accident.

Hernandez told UHP investigators he was in the rear of the vehicle, while Newman and a female occupant were in the front seats. He also told investigators he was positive that Newman was the driver.

A blood draw from Hernandez at the University of Utah Hospital returned a blood alcohol content of .14, which is above the legal limit of .08, the statement said. On Aug. 30, 2016, Hernandez met with investigators to discuss the accident.

After investigators told Hernandez the airbag deployed and there was possible DNA evidence retrieved from it, he maintained he did not drive the car, the probable cause statement said. Hernandez agreed to submit to a search warrant for DNA collection without incident.

The deployed airbag from the Civic, along with DNA from Newman and Hernandez, was sent to the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services for analysis, according to the statement. The DNA profile was consistent with Hernandez’s DNA profile, excluding Newman as the possible driver.

Based on the evidence, the probable cause statement concluded that Hernandez was driving the Civic at the time of the accident.

The Stansbury Park Service Agency board awarded a contract to complete the master plan that will guide the agency’s future expansion.

The board selected MGB+A, a planning, design and landscape architecture firm out of Salt Lake City to complete the master plan, edging out Blu Line Designs, of Sandy. Board member Mike Johnson moved to increase the allocation for the contract to $40,000 to catch any change orders and the motion was approved unanimously.

“We’re excited to move forward with this,” said SPSA board chairman Neil Smart.

Both firms gave presentations to the board describing previous municipal projects, methods of seeking community input and finding potential funding sources for projects included in the future master plan. Following the presentations, the board entered a brief closed session before re-opening the meeting and selecting MGB+A.

Jay Bollwinkel, a partner at MGB+A, said the firm partners with Zions Bank to outline funding needed for future projects and possible funding sources.

Bollwinkel said community input on the master plan will be sourced using several different methods, including traditional means like mailings and open meetings and more modern avenues like social media and online surveys.

“What we’ll usually do is we’ll take what we talked about at a public meeting we might have and post it on our website and say, ‘This is what we’ve got so far, what do you think?’” he said.

Online sources for public input also bring in more community residents and give a better picture of what the community wants than who can make a public meeting at a set time, Bollwinkel said.

During the meeting, it was discussed that an update to the master plan for SPSA would likely be followed by a reevaluation of the service agency’s impact fees, which were last updated in 2011.

Last May, Stansbury Park residents filled the meeting room at the Stansbury Park Clubhouse to discuss future wants and needs for the community. During the meeting residents requested more playgrounds and a splashpad for younger families, asked questions about trails and sought storage space for youth sports equipment.

A Tooele man has been charged with three felonies after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman and holding her against her will.

Antwan Demetrie Bell, 35, is charged with first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping, third-degree felony aggravated assault and third-degree felony domestic violence in the presence of a child.

Tooele City police were dispatched on a welfare check for a woman reported to have been assaulted on Jan. 16, according to a probable cause statement. The victim told police she accidently fell down the stairs at the time.

The victim later told her brother and a coworker that she was pushed down the stairs by and assaulted by Bell, who she lived with, the statement said. She also said she was being held against her will and could not leave the residence.

The victim also sent photos of a black eye and other facial injuries to her brother and coworker, which she said were inflicted by Bell, according to the probable cause statement.

Tooele City police returned on Jan. 18 with a search warrant to interview the victim, the statement said.

In an interview with police, the victim said Bell had assaulted her on several occassions, including being choked to near unconsciousness. She said Bell would “tackle her, beat her, and choke her” if she attempted to leave, according to the statement.

The victim did not suffer any broken bones but appeared to be in severe pain and was hospitalized for an examination, the statement said. A juvenile female living in the home said she witnessed the abuse and heard the victim being told she wasn’t able to leave the house.

Bell did not speak with police without an attorney present and was booked into the Tooele County Detention Center.

Bell made his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on Jan. 29 and was scheduled for a scheduling conference on Tuesday. During his initial appearance he was assigned $100,000 bail and ordered to have no contact with the victim.

Stansbury Park residents interested in volunteering to help monitor Stansbury Lake can sign up for training this Thursday at the Stansbury Park Clubhouse.

The free training, organized by the Stansbury Park Service Agency, will be conducted by Utah Water Watch, a water quality education and data collection program managed by the Utah State University Water Quality Extension.

There will be a lake care strategy and public comment meeting at 6 p.m., followed by the training which begins at 6:30 p.m. and is scheduled to run until 9:30 p.m. Anyone looking to register for the class can call 435-797-2580 or email waterquality@usu.edu.

Attendees will learn about monitoring lake health, including the collection and reporting of water quality data. The service agency is looking to recruit at least five volunteers to collect monthly samples to gauge the health of the lake.

Lake monitoring involves checking for water quality indicators like temperature, pH level, turbidity and transparency, or harmful algal blooms, according to Utah Water Watch. The time commitment to participate in the training is about 30 minutes per site visit, with a minimum of one site visit for seven months of the year.

Anyone unable to attend the meeting that is interested in lake preservation and improvement efforts can contact the Stansbury Park Service Agency at 435-882-6188 or servicagency@stansburypark.org.

Stansbury Lake, which covers about 110 acres, was originally constructed as a reservoir for the adjacent golf course when construction began in 1969. The man-made lake suffers from lake weeds and algal blooms, which former Stansbury Park Service Agency manager Randall Flynn attributed in part to its shallow depth.

The lake is filled using water from the Gordon Well and the adjacent, spring-fed Mill Pond. The service agency maintains a private lake permit, which restricts use of the lake to residents and their guests.

A winter storm system blew into Tooele County beginning Friday, causing a number of semitrailer crashes on Interstate 80 and power outages affecting thousands of customers.

High winds on Friday caused four semitrailers to be blown over on I-80 in Tooele County, as well as a pickup truck towing a trailer, according to Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Shawn Judd. The driver and a passenger in one of the semis suffered minor injuries, he said.

Both directions on I-80 were temporarily closed to light, high-profile vehicles and semis with empty trailers between Wendover and Lake Point due to high winds beginning at 9:35 a.m., according to the Utah Department of Transportation.

Once snow finally arrived Saturday evening into Sunday morning, there were additional accidents on UHP patrolled roads, according to Judd. There were four weather-related accidents on Saturday and three on Sunday.

Between midnight and 12:30 p.m. on March 4, there were 135 total accidents in Salt Lake and Utah counties, according to UHP.

Tooele County only saw a total of four inches of snowfall from the weekend storm, according to the National Weather Service in Salt Lake.

A total of 3,001 customers in Tooele County lost power during several outages caused by the winter storm over the weekend, according to Rocky Mountain Power spokeswoman Tiffany Erickson. The largest single outage affected 2,730 customers and was caused by wind; outages were also caused by falling trees and a pole fire, she said.

Charges against a Tooele man, which included a felony, were dismissed in 3rd District Court on Tuesday after he was not found competent to proceed with a trial.

David Alan Eliason, 71, had been charged with first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping, as well as misdemeanor counts of violation of protective order, and assault.

An order to release Eliason was sent to the Tooele County Detention Center on Feb. 13 and charges were formally dismissed without prejudice during a competency hearing before 3rd District Court Judge Matthew Bates.

The court found Eliason not competent to proceed with the trial and that he could not be restored to competency, according to court records. The Tooele County Attorney’s office moved to have the case dismissed.

The charges against Eliason were connected to an incident last October, when he allegedly pulled a female victim into his car at the Tooele County Court Complex, according to a probable cause statement. The victim, who suffered minor injuries, had previously lived with Eliason but had a protective order against him.

A competency review for Eliason was ordered during his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on Oct. 23 before former 3rd District Court Judge Robert Adkins. During the same hearing, Eliason was assigned no bail and remained in custody until his February release.

The first phase of a 2,400-home development received final plat approval from the Grantsville City Council during its meeting Wednesday night.

The initial phase of the North Star Ranch subdivision will contain 25 homes on half-acre lots, located west of Mormon Trail Road and south of Durfee Street. Developer Travis Taylor said the housing development could take up to 80 years to complete and indicated there would be dozens of phases.

Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall said the developers will need to construct a water tank after a few phases are completed to ensure water pressure is high enough to be used by firefighters. The tank will need to be elevated to ensure it provides sufficient pressure, he said.

While the initial phases of the development will be half-acre lots, Taylor said he wants to work with the city on future phases to implement different designs, such as housing clusters on quarter-acre lots to allow for green space and parks.

“You’ll see a lot more of me, the planning commission will as well, to talk about how we do this more creatively than half-acre lots,” he said.

Councilwoman Jewel Allen and Councilman Tom Tripp questioned the accessibility for students walking to school, and the slope and drainage, respectively, of the planned development. Taylor said there will be a walkable surface, likely gravel, connecting the subdevelopment to the rest of the city and retention basins will be maintained by a homeowner’s association.

Taylor also said he was supportive of Grantsville City’s review of its planning and zoning ordinances, which began when the city put in place a 180-day moratorium on new subdivisions last October.

“I can tell you, when I first started this … 11 years ago, coming out here, it’s a different atmosphere today and I appreciate that,” he said. “It’s much more collaborative and that’s a good thing.”

The council unanimously approved the final plat on a motion by Allen and a second by Councilman Neil Critchlow.

When David Sweeney and his family moved from Tooele to their new home in the Anderson Ranch subdivision in Grantsville, he said they were excited for the newly constructed home.

But the experience of new homeownership quickly soured for Sweeney, who said he has had problems totaling into the tens of thousands of dollars since purchasing the home built by Compass Point Construction in 2014.

“We were excited, you know,” Sweeney said. “Anybody would be to build a new house … It’s just been a headache.”

Issues with the home on Saddle Road included an exterior door at the rear of the home with daylight visible above the top. Gaps on the rear door have caused mold to form along the base of the door inside the home, which Sweeney showed the Transcript Bulletin during a home visit last week.

“Both sides are rotten and I don’t know what it’s doing to the floor yet,” Sweeney said.

In the master bathroom, Sweeney said he spent extra to upgrade the tile surrounding the bathtub and shower. After dealing with leaking water in the bathroom, Sweeney said he discovered a section of tile in the shower did not have grout and the tub was not properly braced.

The leaking water also damaged a section of the bathroom floor near the door to the master bedroom. Sweeney said he received a bid for repairs to the bathroom of about $15,000.

While he expected he would need to make minor repairs like dealing with exposed nailheads or some caulking, Sweeney said he didn’t expect to be making thousands of dollars of repairs on a new, $269,000 home within five years after it was constructed.

“It kind of ticks you off after a while,” he said.

Sweeney was among three Anderson Ranch residents whom spoke at the Grantsville City Council meeting on Feb. 21. More than a dozen other residents also attended the meeting in support of those speaking out, based on a show of hands at the request of Councilman Tom Tripp.

Compass Point Construction owners Jeff and Tami Harris said homeowners had differing opinions on what was covered under the warranty of their homes and their Kaysville-based business is not at fault, in an email received Wednesday.

“The issues with the other homeowners that we were aware of did not fall under the home warranty that was included in the home or fell under the responsibility of a homeowner in regards to upkeep and personal ownership of the property,” the Harrises’ email said.

Compass Point defended its eight years of building homes in Grantsville and the Harrises said they are proud of the homes they have built in Tooele County. The email said some homeowners had “unrealistic expectations” as they helped move through the building process.

“It is unfortunate that these homeowners are not happy with the product that we built for them,” the Harrises said. “However, they are entitled to their opinion and that is just what it is, is an opinion. We can do our best to set realistic expectations and educate our homeowners the best we can, but we also realize that there is a potential that we won’t satisfy everyone.”

One of the residents who spoke at the Feb. 21 council meeting was James Rasher, a Grantsville resident since 2005, who moved to a home in Anderson Ranch last November, which was constructed by Salt City Construction. He said he submitted a punch list of repairs three months ago and has had difficulty getting action on the items related to his home.

After posting on an Anderson Ranch Facebook group, Rasher said he was flooded by responses from other residents dealing with cracking walls and concrete, flooding basements and other concerns.

“The people of Anderson Ranch have learned to live with these issues and that is just not right,” Rasher said.

Dave Munford, president of Munford Marketing Group and its construction company, Salt City Construction, tells a different story of the interaction with Rasher. Munford said Salt City Construction allowed Rasher to close early on his home before the home was completely finished at Rasher’s request, which resulted in a lengthy punch list of items.

Munford also said there is misinformation about the connections between Compass Point and Salt City Construction. He said he served as the real estate agent for Compass Point Construction but was not involved in the construction of the homes.

Munford said Compass Point fell behind on making repairs for homeowners and when he and homeowners pushed Compass Point to complete the fixes, Munford was fired.

About eight months ago, Salt City Construction started building homes in the Anderson Ranch subdivision, according to Munford. He said Salt City Construction uses different subcontractors than Compass Point and is distinctly different but some residents have said they’re the same business.

According to the state Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, Farmington-based Salt City Construction was registered back in Sept. 27, 2012, with the registration most recently renewed last August.

Munford said he lost two deals to sell homes built by Salt City Construction as a result of Facebook posts from angry Anderson Ranch residents who lump the companies together.

Anderson Ranch resident Randall Graff said his experience with Munford was positive and Munford did everything he could to help him with his home built by Compass Point. Graff made a special arrangement to have the exterior of the home constructed so he could finish the interior himself.

Graff had other issues, however, which included his home being constructed with the wrong roof. He said he paid $10,000 more for the different roofline and dormer offered in a Heritage II model home, but Compass Point built a Heritage I with the dormer added on after. Despite Graff pointing out the error early during the construction process, Graff said it was not addressed.

Graff provided the construction plans included in his home, which showed a Heritage II roofline and dormer. Due to the different style of roofline in the final build, Graff said the dormer added to his roof is split, causing a 1.5-inch crack that has caused flooding in his home.

During construction, Graff said he also spoke with Grantsville City building inspector Mike Haycock about various deficiencies, including cracked trusses, which failed inspection and were addressed. Graff took several hundred photos throughout construction to highlight issues like gaps below poured concrete.

Other Anderson Ranch residents cited similar issues noticed during construction that were not addressed by the builder.

Wendy Starling Gardiner said she paid an additional $4,000 for vaulted ceilings in the living room and family rooms of her home. Gardiner said she was told midway through the construction process that the ceilings could not be vaulted by Jeff Harris, but was still charged.

While visiting another home in the neighborhood with the same floorplan, Gardiner said she saw they had vaulted ceilings in the same rooms.

Other residents mentioned issues with cracks on walls and concrete, flooding through basement windows and poor soil compaction. Some filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau.

Sweeney and Tara Baker both described exchanges with Jeff Harris about issues with their homes where they were told it wasn’t like they were building $1 million homes.

“To us, $250,000 is your forever home,” Baker said. “… It doesn’t matter what you pay for your house, it’s your home.”

With a number of issues adding up, Anderson Ranch residents who spoke with the Transcript Bulletin said they approached the city council in February in hopes of getting some kind of assistance.

“To fix our homes would be great,” Gardiner said. “At bare minimum, stop letting them victimize other citizens of Grantsville.”

During the Feb. 21 meeting, Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall asked residents to get together and compile a list of problems with their residences. At the March 7 meeting, Marshall said he had only received three punch lists from Anderson Ranch residents so far.

Marshall, Grantsville City Attorney Brett Coombs and Munford met following the Feb. 21 meeting. Coombs said the complaints against Compass Point and Salt City are an issue between residents and the builder. He said the city’s building department reviewed those homes and found deficiencies that were identified by the building inspector and were brought up to code by the builders.

In their email, Jeff and Tami Harris said all of the homes were built to state code and received certificates of occupancy from Grantsville City.

But for residents like James Rasher’s wife, Jennifer, the problems with their homes remain a major concern.

“Had we known you were having these problems, we never would have bought the house,” Jennifer Rasher said. “We had no clue.”

A Brigham City man pleaded guilty to a pair of felony charges in connection with a string of burglaries at fraternal orders in Tooele City, Brigham City, Idaho and Wyoming.

Lex Reed Hubble, 35, pleaded guilty to an amended count of third-degree felony theft and one count of third-degree felony burglary during a February court appearance. Six additional third-degree felony burglary charges were dismissed without prejudice as part of the plea deal with the state.

During a six-month investigation that began last June, the Tooele City Police Department investigated four incidents at the Elks Lodge, Moose Lodge and twice at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, according to a probable cause statement. In each case, there was forced entry and cash was stolen from a safe, ranging from $624 to $2,586.

Video surveillance from each of the four incidents showed the same man, the probable cause statement said.

Following news coverage of the break-in at the Eagles on Oct. 13, the Green River Police Department in Wyoming contacted Tooele City police, the statement said. Green River police advised investigators there were 37 incidents between Utah and Wyoming in which lodges and bars were broken into and cash was stolen, with a suspect who matched the suspect in the Tooele City break-ins.

The Sweet Water County Sheriff’s Office connected Hubble to a burglary in Lander, Wyoming after he was captured on surveillance at a Maverick convenience store, the statement said. Hubble spoke with an employee and asked them the location of the Lander Elks lodge, which was broken into later that night.

Tooele City police then ran Hubble’s information into their database and discovered the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office had interacted with Hubble on Oct. 13, according to the probable cause statement. A deputy contacted Hubble and an unidentified woman after he was found parked suspiciously in a Stansbury Park parking lot at 3:30 a.m.

The same morning, between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., the fraternal order of the Eagles was burglarized.

After a GPS tracker was installed on Hubble’s vehicles through a warrant on Nov. 6, his vehicle was parked near Elks lodges twice on Nov. 25, both of which were reported to be burglarized that evening, the statement said.

Between May 5 and Jan. 2, there were approximately 46 incidents connected to Hubble by surveillance footage and witness statements, according to the probable cause statement. Search warrants were obtained and served at Hubble’s home and his ex-girlfriend’s residence, with physical evidence collected that tied him to the Tooele City burglaries and those in neighboring states.

Hubble’s bail was reduced to $10,000 bondable following his guilty plea in 3rd District Court on Feb. 8, but he was required to wear an ankle monitor and is not allowed to leave the state of Utah. Sentencing is set for April 3 at 9 a.m. before 3rd District Court Judge Matthew Bates.

A 61-year-old man was transported by medical helicopter after he crashed his motorcycle near Porter Way Park in Stansbury Park last Thursday, according to the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office.

The man was traveling westbound through the parking lot at the park when he struck curbing on the north side of the lot at 6:47 p.m., according to Tooele County Sheriff Lt. Ron Johnson. The driver, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected from the motorcycle and ended up under a parked pickup truck; the motorcycle continued ahead for about 100 yards, Johnson said.

First responders administered first aid to the crash victim and he was then transported by medical helicopter to the University of Utah hospital, Johnson said. He was transported in critical condition but his status was stable by Friday.

The Tooele County Sheriff’s Office and Utah Highway Patrol are still investigating the cause of the accident. Witnesses observed the motorcycle traveling between 40 and 50 mph in the parking lot, according to Johnson.

A Tooele man pleaded guilty to a felony sexual abuse charge during an appearance in 3rd District Court last week.

Tanner Joseph Sterrett, 18, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree felony sexual abuse of a child as part of his plea deal with the state. He was originally charged with three counts of first-degree felony sexual abuse of a child.

During his appearance in 3rd District Court last Tuesday, Sterrett’s bail was reduced to $10,000 bondable but would need to wear an ankle monitor for house arrest and have no contact with the victim or anyone under the age of 14. He must also have a pyscho-sexual evaluation and report to state Adult Probation and Parole within 48 hours of a release from jail.

Sterrett was charged with sexual abuse of a child after Tooele City police received a report from the state Department of Child and Family Services, according to a probable cause statement. The report said the victim, younger than 4 years old, told investigators during a Children’s Justice Center interview that Sterrett had inappropriately touched her.

Sterrett waived his Miranda rights and spoke with police, and told them he had touched the victim inappropriately while helping her go to the bathroom, the statement said. He also said he touched the victim inappropriately another time “because he was bored,” the statement said.

Sterrett is scheduled for sentencing on May 15 at 9 a.m. before 3rd District Court Judge Matthew Bates.

A Stansbury Park man pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in a scheme which targeted friends, members of his church and some of their relatives, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Ronald Wayne Leavitt, 61, pleaded guilty during an appearance last Wednesday in federal court, the release said.

As part of the plea deal, Leavitt will be required to serve 36 months in federal prison, subject to court approval, and agreed to pay victims the total amount lost in the fraud, which totaled $679,420. Leavitt is scheduled for sentencing in the case on June 4 before U.S. District Judge David Nuffer.

Leavitt acknowledged he told lies to friends and neighbors to encourage them to invest in his schemes, which included a real estate venture in California, a high-end real estate development venture in Moab and a sugar substitute start-up company, according to the release.

Leavitt admitted to fabricating the real estate venture in California and misleading investors on his role in the Moab and sugar substitute ventures, which do exist, the release said. He also admitted to lying to his victims, telling them, among other things, that he owned property worth millions of dollars, inherited millions of dollars from his parents or was the executor of a large trust fund.

During his plea hearing last Wednesday, Leavitt admitted to spending the majority of the money he took from victims rather than investing it, the release said. He already repaid $160,000 to three victims and agreed to repay the remaining $519,420 in restitution.

After 134 years, the Grantsville Sociable continues on — even as the community that hosts it has changed and grown.

This year’s theme, “In Our Neighborhoods,” will spotlight the unique neighborhoods in the city while serving as a welcome to newer residents who haven’t taken part in the Sociable yet, according to co-chairs Kristine Vera and Neil Critchlow.

“We just want to celebrate the happenings in the neighborhoods in Grantsville and kind of how they’ve developed throughout the years,” Vera said.

Critchlow acknowledged the city has undergone a lot of change, especially in the past 20 to 30 years.

“We want people that are here in Grantsville to understand that they’re welcome and we appreciate them and they’re part of our town,” he said.

Vera said the Sociable is a great place to reconnect with old friends, make new friends and experience the history of Grantsville, for both newer and long-term residents.

“We want them to see what it’s all about and be a part of it, because they’re part of our town and we want everyone to feel that they’re part of our town,” Vera said.

Festivities begin this Saturday at Grantsville High School, with the car show beginning at 11 a.m. and the honored guest reception beginning at noon. There will be programs at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., with dinner from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and live music and dancing from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets are available at Soelberg’s in Grantsville and Stansbury Park, as well as online through the Grantsville Sociable Facebook page.

There were about 1,200 attendees at last year’s Sociable, Critchlow said, and they’re expecting a similar turnout this year. The Sociable extended an invitation to around 250 honored guests, who are residents 75 years old and older.

The program and live music will be provided by residents of the town, ranging for kids up through the adult crowd. Some additions this year include new performers and new acts — including opera.

“We have just a lot of talent in our town,” Critchlow said.

In addition to talent, Critchlow and Vera had high praise for the hard work and dedication of the volunteers to the committees that make the Sociable possible.

“I’ve really loved working with our committees,” Vera said. “They are fabulous. Hard, hard working people.”

Critchlow said being a co-chair was made easier by the proactive volunteers, who make the event possible. The new co-chairs will also be announced on Saturday during the festivities.

“It’s not one of those things where you have to stand and say ‘Well, I need you to do this, I need you to do this,’” he said. “They just do things, because they’re just that kind of people.”

Tooele Junior High School was briefly placed into a shelter in place after a disruptive student caused law enforcement to respond to the school Wednesday.

A student at the junior high school with a history of behavioral problems became belligerent and attempted to punch an administrator with a pen in their hand, according to Tooele City Police Sgt. Tanya Kalma.

Tooele City police officers intervened without further incident; no charges against the student were filed as of Wednesday evening.

“The shelter in place was lifted and all clear given after law enforcement arrived at TJHS promptly,” said a Tooele County School District Facebook post. “At no time were any students at risk.”

Following the lockout, there were rumors that a shooting or stabbing had occurred at the junior high school, Kalma said. Parents and community members called police and the school district about the shelter in place.

A shelter in place response requires students to return to their classrooms, where doors and windows are shut.

Two Tooele City men have been charged with several felonies in 3rd District Court after they allegedly robbed a man at gun and knife point in January.

Zane Walton, 29, is charged with first-degree felony aggravated robbery, third-degree felony possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, third-degree aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. John Scott Shepherd, 32, is charged with first-degree aggravated robbery, second-degree felony possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Tooele City police were dispatched to a residence on 730 West on Jan. 22 in response to a man who had been beat up, according to a probable cause statement. The victim told officers he had arrived at Shepherd’s home where Shepherd and Walton started to question him, leading to an argument between the three men.

During the questioning and argument, the victim said Shepherd was holding a black semi-automatic handgun, which caused the victim to fear for his safety, the statement said. The victim said Walton brought him upstairs and began to hit him in the face while holding a knife, the statement said. Shepherd then came upstairs and locked an exterior door to the home before walking back downstairs, according to the victim.

Walton made a threatening comment to the victim, who believed Walton was going to kill him, the probable cause statement said. Walton took the victim’s watch, wallet, cell phone, necklace bracelet and car keys, though the victim said he was able to escape from the house and call police from a neighboring house when Walton became distracted by a cell phone.

Police served a search warrant on Shepherd’s home and found a black semi-automatic handgun, as well as the personal items the victim reported as missing, the statement said. Officers also located the knife Walton was said to be holding and a small plastic baggy with a white crystalline substance in a common area of the residence.

Both men appeared in 3rd District Court on Tuesday for scheduling conferences. Shepherd and Walton are scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on March 20 at 8 a.m. before 3rd District Court Judge John Mack Dow.

The Unified Fire Authority’s Bomb Squad responded to a Tooele City neighborhood Wednesday afternoon because of a suspicious package that later turned out to be an online order.

Police and fire units closed down Fairlane Drive around noon after receiving a call that a suspicious package was on the porch of a home near the intersection with 400 South, according to Tooele City Police Sgt. Tanya Kalma. The homeowners were alerted about the package, which appeared to be unmarked, by passer-bys in the neighborhood and then notified police.

The UFA Bomb Squad, part of the Utah Bomb Squad Task Force, responded within about an hour. Scans of the package showed there were electrical components to the device and it was deemed suspicious enough to be handled by the bomb squad, Kalma said.

Six homes on Fairlane Drive were evacuated as a precaution, according to Kalma.

“From the things that we saw, based on our procedures, it looked suspicious enough,” said UFA Bomb Squad Capt. Steve Ball.

Following the bomb squad’s investigation, they used a low-power energetic disruptor and determined there was no explosive, Ball said.

The homeowner later determined it was an online order they had forgotten about but the package had been set on the porch with the shipping label facing down, Kalma said. Ball said the bomb squad has responded to four calls this week alone and averages about 100 to 150 calls per year.

Anyone who discovers a suspicious package should contact local law enforcement to investigate it, Kalma said.

Since March 2, there have been three package bombings in Austin, Texas, which have killed two people and critically injured another. According to the Austin Police Department, the packages were average-sized delivery boxes and left on people’s doorsteps overnight.