Monday was the first day on the job for Stansbury Park Service Agency Manager Gary Jensen, but it was hardly uncharted territory.

Jensen previously served on the service agency board and said he spent most of Monday getting up to speed with his new employees.

While he has particular experience with the service agency, Jensen is also no stranger to working outdoors and getting his hands dirty. He grew up on a dairy farm, went to college in his 50s to complete a degree in horticulture and spent 13 years as a quality assurance arborist for Washington Forestry Consultants.

Jensen’s work as an arborist was what originally brought him to Stansbury Park from his previous residence in Twin Falls, Idaho. While working on a contract with Rocky Mountain Power, he moved to Stansbury Park with his wife and rented a home on Harvest Drive for one year.

At the end of the one-year contract, Jensen’s employer told him he needed to remain in Utah, so he bought a home and made the move permanent.

“We really liked it here in Stansbury,” Jensen said.

A few years later, Jensen was diagnosed with Stage 4 B-cell non-Hodgkin’s mantle cell lymphoma. Jensen said Utah was the place to be after receiving his cancer diagnosis due to the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah and Loveland Clinic at the LDS Hospital.

Despite long odds, Jensen battled the disease and is now cancer-free. Following the chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant, Jensen said his hair came back thicker and healthier than ever before; he’s now growing it long enough to donate to a cancer patient in need.

During Jensen’s time in Stansbury, the arborist first noticed and reported the dire condition of the community’s signature poplar trees, which suffered from fungal diseases. The trees were removed by the service agency in 2014 and fungal-resistant sycamore trees were planted in their place.

“As an arborist, if we see things like that, we go out and try to let the people know the condition of the trees, the dangers they may present,” Jensen said.

Due to his concerns about the trees, Jensen began attending service agency meetings and became involved when he filled a vacancy on the service agency board when Randall Flynn took the general manager position.

After serving a four-year term, Jensen was not re-elected to the board in the 2017 municipal elections, but continued to come to meetings in 2018. Now he will oversee the service agency’s employees and day-to-day operations.

“I saw an opportunity to help the community more, do what I could to make parks beautiful, make recreation facilities functional,” Jensen said.

On Monday, Jensen met with the managers handling the service agency functions, such as lawn care and maintenance. He said he told them he would give them latitude to do their jobs and use their expertise to complete their jobs as efficiently and safely as possible.

Jensen also had praise for the service agency board and particularly lauded office manager Miriam Alsup.

“She’s a wealth of knowledge and she keeps us in the parameters of the guidelines we have as a government entity,” Jensen said.

When dealing with community complaints, Jensen said he will draw on years of experience as an arborist working with people upset about tree-trimming practices by power companies.

“Listening is a big key,” he said. “I think that’s really critical. People may have a complaint; if you sit down and listen to them — not hear them but listen to them — you can hopefully work out a solution that’s agreeable.”

Morgan Henderson

The girlfriend of the Eureka man charged with the murder of two teenagers is now facing felony charges.

Morgan Reannon Henderson, 34, of Mammoth, is charged with two counts of second-degree felony obstructing justice.

Riley Powell, 18, and Brelynne “Breezy” Otteson, 17, were reported missing on Jan. 2 after they were last heard from on Dec. 30, traveling home to Eureka, a probable cause statement said.

Henderson and her boyfriend, Jerrod William Baum, 41, were contacted by police on Jan. 9 because Baum and Powell knew each other, the statement said. Two days later, Powell’s Jeep was recovered in the Cherry Creek area of Juab County.

Police again contacted Henderson on Jan. 25 after police discovered Facebook messages between Powell and Henderson, in which Powell said he would stop by Henderson’s house around midnight on Dec. 30, according to the probable cause statement. After first saying Powell never arrived, Henderson said Powell had arrived for a short time after midnight and then left; she denied any other information on the missing teens’ whereabouts.

On March 25, Henderson was arrested in Sanpete County on unrelated charges and she admitted to investigators she had withheld information on the disappearance of Otteson and Powell, the statement said. She led investigators to an abandoned Tintic Standard mine outside of Eureka where Powell and Otteson’s bodies were recovered on March 28.

She later provided details on how Baum drove to the abandoned mine, where he killed the teens in front of her and pushed them into the mine, the statement said.

Henderson told investigators she was concerned she would harm herself, flee or be killed if released from custody, the probable cause statement said. She also told investigators she is worried Baum will hurt her or her family despite the fact that he’s incarcerated.

Henderson told police she feels responsible for Otteson and Powell’s deaths because she invited them over and did not come forward after their murders, the statement said.

The charges against Henderson were filed in 4th District Court in Provo on Thursday. Her bail is set at $100,000, cash only.

Baum is charged with two counts each of first-degree felony aggravated murder, first-degree aggravated kidnapping and third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a dead human body, as well as one count of second-degree felony obstructing justice and one count of third-degree felony possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person. He is being held without bail.

Jesus Aragon

The Tooele man charged in the murder of his mother has been found competent to stand trial by 3rd District Court Judge Matthew Bates during an evidentiary hearing Thursday morning —as long as certain accommodations are made.

Jesus Aragon, 44, is charged with first-degree felony murder and first-degree felony aggravated burglary.

During the hearing, Aragon’s attorney Edward Brass and Deputy Tooele County Attorney Gary Searle both asked questions of Dr. Patrick Panos, who had previously evaluated Aragon and deemed him fit for trial with accommodations. Aragon underwent three competency evaluations; two found him not to be competent.

Panos said he used a hypothetical court scenario to determine if Aragon was able to make a decision using rational thought — that he could pick a choice and then provide reasoning behind his decision. He said Aragon struggled with the exercise but his problem was related to memory, not rational thought.

Panos said Aragon initially only remembered one of the choices in the decision exercise, but after he was presented with the information multiple times, he was able to provide a reasoned answer.

During the hearing, Panos said Aragon struggled in two regards: with retaining new, complex information and recalling known information in its entirety.

For example, Panos said Aragon could remember details about police reports or incidents on the day he was arrested, but needed cues to recall all of the information. He said Aragon would not claim to remember things he didn’t know and had a unique recollection of events compared to police reports and other accounts.

Panos recommended allowing extra time during the trial to discuss key parts of witness testimony and that he may need additional prompts to jog his memory while testifying. Brass expressed concern he would have to determine which information in the trial was critically important, and if Aragon understood the proceedings, as Panos said Aragon would sometimes incorrectly believe he remembered everything during the hypothetical court exercise.

Brass also said he was worried about how it would look to members of the jury if the extra prompts Aragon may require would make it appear he was asking leading questions to get a desired response from his client.

Searle said there shouldn’t be completely new information during the trial, as police reports, testimony and other information would be available to Brass and Aragon to review as discovery for the trial.

In his decision, Bates said Aragon’s accommodations would include detailed documentation of any witness testimony prior to trial and Aragon may submit his witness testimony in writing, if necessary. The jury will be informed of Aragon’s cognitive disorder, the trial will take more frequent breaks and may move more slowly, he said.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Aragon on April 20 at 9 a.m.

On July 22, 2016, Marcella Aragon was found murdered inside her Tooele home and Jesus Aragon was later arrested and charged with the crime.

Tooele City police were dispatched to Marcella Aragon’s home that morning on a report of suspicious activity after a family member reported seeing Jesus Aragon in the area, acting suspiciously, according to Tooele City Police Sgt. Tanya Kalma.

Officers received no answer at the front door but made contact with Jesus Aragon through an open window on the southeast side of the home, the probable cause statement said.

When officers asked Jesus Aragon to come out and speak with them, he did so willingly, Kalma said. Once he exited the house, however, he threw himself on the ground in the front yard and began to scream and cry, the statement said.

After Jesus Aragon allegedly resisted arrest, he was cooperative and admitted to the murder of his mother, Kalma said.

When Tooele City police entered the home, they found Marcella Aragon deceased on the living room floor with obvious signs of assault and a struggle, according to the probable cause statement.

A man brought a toy gun or BB gun into the Vasa Fitness on Main Street and accessed the roof of the gym, before jumping or falling to the ground below Monday afternoon, according to Tooele City police. 

Officers were called to the gym at 3:15 p.m. on reports of a man with a gun, according to Tooele City Police Sgt. Tanya Kalma. Officers later learned the 57-year-old man had a BB gun or toy gun, which he pointed at an employee. 

After brandishing the gun, the man climbed onto the roof through a maintenance access inside the building, before he either jumped or fell off the roof onto Garden Street, Kalma said. He was then transported to a Salt Lake-area hospital by medical helicopter. 

Kalma said the incident is under investigation and there is no motive or explanation for the man’s actions at this time. Information on the man’s condition and community of residence were also unknown shortly after the incident. 

“It’s all still under investigation and unfolding as we speak,” Kalma said. 

The gym was reopened following the police response. 

A Tooele man is facing a pair of felony theft charges after he allegedly stole appliances from a property he was renting. 

Justin Parker Mauldin, 28, is charged with one count of second-degree felony theft and one count of third-degree felony theft. 

Tooele City police were dispatched to a residence on 580 East on a call to keep the peace on Feb. 22, according to a probable cause statement. The responding officer was met by the owner and landlord of the property, which Mauldin was renting. 

The owner told police Mauldin had stolen and removed the refrigerator, washer and dryer from the residence, the statement said. He provided invoices to police that showed the total value of the refrigerator, washer and dryer exceeded $3,000. 

The owner also told police Mauldin had left the property on a motorcycle that belonged to the owner’s son, which the owner said he had specifically told Mauldin he did not have permission to use, according to the probable cause statement. 

Mauldin is scheduled to make his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on April 16 at 10:28 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates.

A man brought a toy gun or BB gun into the Vasa Fitness on Main Street and accessed the roof of the gym, before jumping or falling to the ground below Monday afternoon, according to Tooele City police. 

Officers were called to the gym at 3:15 p.m. on reports of a man with a gun, according to Tooele City Police Sgt. Tanya Kalma. Officers later learned the 57-year-old man had a BB gun or toy gun, which he pointed at an employee. 

After brandishing the gun, the man climbed onto the roof through a maintenance access inside the building, before he either jumped or fell off the roof onto Garden Street, Kalma said. He was then transported to a Salt Lake-area hospital by medical helicopter. 

Kalma said the incident is under investigation and there is no motive or explanation for the man’s actions at this time. Information on the man’s condition and community of residence were also unknown shortly after the incident. 

“It’s all still under investigation and unfolding as we speak,” Kalma said. 

The gym was reopened following the police response. 

The Transcript Bulletin will update this story as more information becomes available. 

With road construction projects already underway around the state, the Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Highway Patrol took time Tuesday morning to remind motorists to use caution while driving through work zones. 

There were 2,400 traffic accidents in work zones throughout the state last year, according to UDOT. Those accidents occurred for many of the same reasons that cause a majority of accidents around the country, including driving under the influence and drowsy, distracted and aggressive driving, said UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras. 

“Driving is a serious business.” Braceras said. “When you’re behind the wheel of a car, that’s where you should spend 100 percent of your attention.” 

Both Braceras and UHP Col. Michael Rapich said drivers need to slow down, be aware of their surroundings and look for construction workers, UHP troopers and signage directing them where to go. Braceras said there are more than 10,000 people working on construction projects around the state this year. 

“If you drive through a work zone one day, you could go back the next day and it could be in a completely different configuration,” he said. “So pay attention to signs, pay attention to the people that are out there helping you get through safely.” 

While motorists should slow down to ensure work zones are safe, Rapich said there will be extra traffic control and speed enforcement at construction zones around the state. Last year, UHP issued about 1,500 citations in work zones. 

“This year, we hope we don’t issue any, because people see the construction zones, they slow down and they realize what they need to do,” Rapich said. “… It’s going to be a short amount of time and traffic is probably going to be slowing down anyway.” 

Rapich said drivers need to be careful in freeway construction sites, especially in areas with higher speed limits to ensure they’re not traveling too quickly. There will be signs in advance of construction zones to alert drivers and give them the opportunity to slow down as they approach work zones. 

“Construction zones are definitely not designed for 80 mph traffic,” Rapich said. 

The Exit 99 interchange bridge and two bridges over the Union Pacific railroad tracks on Interstate 80 near Black Rock will be replaced this year, according to UDOT. The $30 million project to replace the bridges is in environmental review and design, with construction slated to start mid-summer and continue into fall. 

In addition to the bridge project, UDOT will repave I-80 between mileposts 30 and 40 near the Knolls interchange as part of planned maintenance on the interstate, according to UDOT. Crews will also install cable median barriers along I-80 between mileposts 18 and 33 near the Tree of Life sculpture. 

UDOT will also repave 15 miles of state Route 36, from the junction with state Route 73 to a mile north of the Pony Express Trail. All told, UDOT has 188 highway construction projects scheduled across the state, with a total value of $1.46 billion.

With a busy construction season underway, Rapich reminded drivers to be alert to the unique hazards found in work zones to ensure safety for motorists, construction workers and troopers. 

“Be a partner with us,” Rapich said. “Help us keep the work zones safe.” 

The Stansbury Park man arrested for robbing two businesses in Tooele City last month pleaded guilty to felony robbery charges in 3rd District Court on Tuesday and was sentenced to 36 months probation. 

Adam Reed Stewart, 32, pleaded guilty to two amended counts of second-degree robbery. Misdemeanor counts of theft, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia were dismissed as part of the plea deal with the state. 

Third District Court Judge Matthew Bates suspended two prison terms of one to 15 years for each robbery charge, which would be served concurrently. Instead, he sentenced Stewart to 36 months probation, with credit for 24 days previously served. Stewart will also have to repay the $70 stolen from the Carl’s Jr. on Main Street in Tooele, plus interest. 

Tooele City police were dispatched to Carl’s Jr. on reports of a robbery around 8 a.m. on March 18 and during the investigation, officers were notified of an attempted robbery at Starbucks approximately 10-15 minutes prior. In both instances, a man passed a note to the cashier indicating he had a gun and wanted cash, according to Tooele City police.

The suspect, later identified as Stewart, received $70 in small bills from Carl’s Jr. and no cash from Starbucks, according to police.

The descriptions from employees at Carl’s Jr. and Starbucks matched, according to Tooele City police. Employees at both of the businesses said the suspect left in a white, four-door sedan.

Two employees at Carl’s Jr. identified the suspect as Stewart from a photo lineup, according to a probable cause statement.

After local police agencies were notified of the robberies and given the suspect’s description, Stewart was located by Grantsville City police when he pulled into the Family Dollar parking lot on Main Street later that day. Stewart was wearing clothing that matched the description given by the employees at Carl’s Jr. and Starbucks.

After being taken to the Tooele City Police Department, Stewart admitted to passing the note that claimed he had a gun, but denied having a gun, police said. No firearm was found in his possession.

During arraignment in 3rd District Court on Tuesday, a Tooele City man pleaded not guilty to criminal charges connected to the robbery of a man in January. 

John Scott Shepherd, 33, is charged with first-degree felony aggravated robbery, second-degree felony possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, as well as misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

At Tuesday’s arraignment, a final pretrial conference was scheduled for June 12 at 9 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates. A jury trial is scheduled to begin on June 27 at 9 a.m., also before Bates. 

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 another man, Zane Walton, began to question him, leading to an argument between the three men.

Walton, 29, of Tooele, 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. 

During the questioning and argument, the victim said Shepherd was holding a black semi-automatic handgun, the statement said. The victim said Walton brought him upstairs and 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 and the victim 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.

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.

The Stansbury Service Agency board approved spending on equipment and maintenance during its meeting Wednesday evening, the first with new general manager Gary Jensen.

Jensen requested $14,473 for a new Grasshopper lawn mower, to replace one of the aging mowers in the current fleet. The funds would come out of the $35,000 equipment budget for the year, which has about $32,000 remaining. 

Jensen said the mower being replaced would be kept to be salvaged for parts for the service agency’s other mowers, which are about 10 years old.  

The board also approved spending on fertilizer for 170 acres of the service agency’s property, with a total cost of $17,258. Jensen said the fertilizer would be applied in the spring and monitored to see if an additional application would be needed in the fall. 

Trustee Mike Johnson said the board should look for contributions toward the cost of the fertilizer from the youth spring programs which are the primary users of the service agency’s parks.

The service agency board also approved up to $5,000 toward repairs and maintenance at the Stansbury Park Golf Course, which is owned by the service agency but is leased to a private operator. Jensen and trustees Glenn Oscarson and Aaron Spilker recently toured the golf course and noted deficiencies in the condition of the course, as well as the facilities and infrastructure. 

“It just needs a lot of attention,” Spilker said. “It really concerns me that one of our greatest assets of this community is looking like it is.”

Jensen, Oscarson and Jeff Green, the director of golf, met on Tuesday and discussed projects to improve the condition of the course. Oscarson suggested improvements like putting new sand in the sand traps and repairing the bathrooms on the course among a list of possible projects. 

“That’s a tremendous asset for us and we need to make it as good as we can,” Oscarson said. “…There’s a lot of things we can do. That would be some money very, very well spent on some of these projects that cost $5,000 or $10,000.”

The money to be used toward projects on the golf course would come out of the lease payment the service agency received from the previous year of around $13,000.

The identity of the man who pointed a BB gun at an employee before jumping off the roof of a Vasa Fitness on April 9 has been released by the Tooele City Police Department. 

Randy Gamwell, 56, of Washoe Valley, Nevada, had been in the Tooele City area for a couple of days prior to the Vasa Fitness incident and may have been sleeping in his car, according to Tooele City Police Sgt. Tanya Kalma. Gamwell, who is wanted on warrants in Nevada, entered the gym on Main Street at 3:10 p.m. to take a shower. 

As he was entering the gym, Gamwell stated he believed he was being followed or chased by police, Kalma said. After brandishing a BB gun at an employee, Gamwell entered a maintenance room adjacent to the pool. 

From the maintenance room, Gamwell used an internal ladder to access the roof and he jumped from the top of the building toward Garden Street, Kalma said. Gamwell suffered several broken bones following the jump and was transported by medical helicopter to a Salt Lake-area hospital. 

As of Monday afternoon, Gamwell was listed in stable condition. 

Kalma said no charges have been filed against Gamwell at this point, but charges are expected to be filed in the incident following the investigation.

A utility pole caught fire on Main Street in Tooele City just after midnight Tuesday, causing 746 customers to lose power, according to Rocky Mountain Power. 

Rocky Mountain Power employees were replacing the pole near the entrance to Les Schwab Tire Center at 1162 N. Main St. Tuesday morning. Other nearby businesses, including Walmart and Jiffy Lube, were closed and had to turn away customers due to the outage. 

The utility pole fire was likely a result of the wet and windy weather over the past 24 hours, according to Rocky Mountain Power spokeswoman Tiffany Erickson. 

During significant windstorms, dust and other debris can gather on the equipment on utility poles, Erickson said. If moisture is added later, such as snow or rain, it can create a slurry that conducts electricity, causing arcing. 

Power was restored to most customers by about 10 a.m., according to Rocky Mountain Power outage information. Three other outages were reported at 10 a.m., affecting three total customers, in the area of 1000 North and Main Street.

A vehicle fire on state Route 36 caused a shutdown of both southbound lanes Monday afternoon. 

First responders were dispatched to a vehicle fire at 3:14 p.m. after a Chevy Malibu caught fire north of the Village Boulevard intersection.

The fire reached the vehicle’s gas tank, which increased the intensity of the fire and spread it onto the roadway, according to North Tooele Fire District spokesman Ryan Willden. An oxygen tank inside the vehicle exploded.

No one was injured as a result of the fire but the Malibu was a total loss, Willden said. 

While fire teams worked to extinguish the blaze, traffic was backed up on SR-36, with some vehicles rerouting onto Country Club Drive to avoid the accident. Willden said the lane closure lasted about 45 minutes. 

The fire is still under investigation, according to Willden.

The United States Air Force and federal Bureau of Land Management are seeking public comment on an agreement that would allow for limited road closures at the Utah Test and Training Range in the West Desert.

The draft memorandum of understanding between the Air Force and BLM would outline the closure process for roads on public lands controlled by the BLM during training exercises. The roads identified for the closures are within the buffer zones added in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act.

The buffer zones, which total 625,643 acres, were added to allow testing of more advanced weapons like F-35s and long-range bombers, according to a February 2016 release from Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Tooele). 

The memorandum of agreement outlines the responsibilities the Air Force and BLM would have when making temporary closures. Those responsibilities include UTTR headquarters coordinating road closure enforcement and BLM consulting with UTTR before issuing new permits or rights-of-way in the buffer zones, among other responsibilities. 

The memorandum also includes contingencies should a “test object” land outside of Department of Defense property, the Air Force would be responsible for contacting local authorities and remediating the affected area. 

The temporary closures of roadways would only occur at off-peak hours and would be limited to 100 total hours annually, according to the 2017 NDAA. The public would be informed of the closures at least 30 days before they go into effect and livestock would be able to remain on grazing land during the temporary closures.

While Interstate 80 runs through the temporary closure area, it will not be affected by any of the temporary closures at UTTR.

The memorandum is available for review online at eplanning.blm.gov and the public can comment on the proposal through the May 8 deadline.

A North Salt Lake man is facing criminal charges after he was arrested in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident earlier this month. 

Dustin Michael Mylroie, 22, is charged with second-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor counts of violation of protective order, unlawful detention and unlawful detention of a minor, assault, domestic violence in the presence of a child, damage or interrupting a communication device and criminal mischief. 

Grantsville City police were dispatched on a report of domestic violence at a home on Durfee Way around 2 a.m. on April 5, according to a probable cause statement. The victim said she left her home and called police from a neighbor’s house after the suspect, identified as Mylroie, had left with her cell phone. 

The victim told police Mylroie had entered the home through the backdoor while the victim was sleeping, the probable cause statement said. She had a protective order filed against Mylroie connected to a previous domestic violence arrest. 

Mylroie entered the home and woke the victim up after he became angry with her after looking through her phone, the statement said. When the victim attempted to recover her phone and leave the bedroom, Mylroie grabbed her by the arm and threw her on the bed.

The victim said Mylroie made a fist at her but did not hit her, according to the probable cause statement. Mylroie did punch himself in the face multiple times and punched a hole in the wall of the bedroom, according to the victim. 

During the altercation, the victim’s son was in a room a few doors down, the statement said. All told, the victim said she was held in her room for at least an hour. 

Mylroie was placed on a 72-hour probation violation in the Davis County Jail and was later transported to the Grantsville City Police department for questioning. He admitted to violating his protective order and going to the victim’s home. 

Mylroie is scheduled to appear in 3rd District Court for a scheduling conference on April 24 at 9 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates. 

Thousands of visitors are expected to descend on the Clark Historic Farm on April 28 and May 5 for the opportunity to see baby animals — including a zebra and camel. 

Barnyard Babies, previously called Baby Animal Days, will also feature maypole dances, pony rides, food trucks and more. The anticipated star of the show is the baby zebra, Zoey, said Penny Anderson, Friends of the Clark Historic Farm advertising coordinator.

“We’re really excited about having her,” Anderson said. 

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days, with tickets $3 for adults, $2 for children under 12 and $12 for families. 

In addition to the headlining baby zebra and camel, there will be lambs, bunnies, chicks, ducklings, goslings and kids, according to Anderson. There will also be a “unicorn,” which attendees can get pictures with. 

There will be farm demonstrations like pumpkin planting, face painting, crafts by the Grantsville Performing Arts Council, and Kentucky Derby-related events on May 5. Some of the events will require an additional fee. 

Food vendors will include Waffle Love on April 28 and Simply Bliss BBQ on May 5. 

There will be a parking shuttle from the park-and-ride parking lot near the cemetery on Main Street to assist attendees and reduce parking on Clark Street, according to Anderson. 

The Friends of the Clark Historic Farm expect about 4,000 attendees to Barnyard Babies each day. Anderson said the non-profit has done advertising outside the county again this year to draw more visitors. 

“I think it’s going to be a great event this year,” she said.

The developers behind a proposed apartment complex along state Route 112 discussed an additional zoning change to their property during Grantsville City Council’s Wednesday night meeting. 

A zoning change from commercial to high-density residential on 5 acres of SR112 Development’s 12.5-acre parcel was approved by the city council last October, but has been put on hold by a citizen referendum. The referendum will be voted on by residents during the municipal elections in November 2019. 

SR112 Development representative Austin Allred said the ownership group is now looking to rezone the high density residential portion of the property to a multi-use designation, CD, which would allow two-story townhomes to be built. He said the developer is looking to build and sell townhomes instead of attempting to build three-story apartment buildings, which petitioners of the referendum opposed. 

“We got the rezone but obviously we’ve heard a lot of voices of citizens and they don’t want three-story apartments,” Allred said. 

Allred said the developers are still looking to attract commercial businesses to the property but lower traffic volume on SR-112 compared to Grantsville’s Main Street makes it more difficult. 

Councilwoman Jewel Allen asked about traffic concerns that petitioners mentioned as a reason for supporting the referendum. Allred said the property would have significantly higher traffic with commercial use than residential. 

Councilman Tom Tripp brought up legal concerns to rezoning a property that is the subject of a referendum and suggested Grantsville City Attorney Brett Coombs reach out to the Lieutenant Governor’s office for guidance. 

“What’s happened here is the city council’s will has been overridden by a citizen voice,” Tripp said to Allred. “I don’t know if this group here is empowered to tell you anything.”

If the 5-acre portion of the property could not be rezoned due to referendum, Allred said the developer will seek a rezone of the remaining 7.5 acres along SR-112 to the mixed-use CD designation. 

“If it’s tied up, we would like to come and ask for CD everywhere else,” he said. “We’re not sitting on our property for four more years.” 

The city council voted 3-2 to rezone the 5-acre parcel to high-density residential on Oct. 4, overturning a June 2017 vote for denial, in which Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall was the tie-breaking vote. 

The city council reviewed the original vote after the matter was sent back to the council by the city’s board of adjustments. During the Oct. 4 meeting, Tripp opposed the reconsideration as he said the board of adjustments did not identify a portion of the city code that was violated and merely sent a recommendation based on new evidence provided by the developer at its meeting.

The referendum, the first in Grantsville City’s history, was approved to appear on the November 2019 ballot after petitioners collected more than 1,322 signatures.

A Tooele man is facing multiple felony charges after he allegedly smuggled methamphetamine into the Tooele County Detention Center and distributed it to other inmates. 

James Wayne Carson, 45, is charged with three counts of first-degree felony distribution of a controlled substance. 

An inmate at the Tooele County jail reported to a sheriff’s deputy that Carson had transported meth into the jail internally and distributed it to several members of the cell block, according to a probable cause statement. 

A review of video surveillance from March 14 showed Carson walking around the cell block, speaking with other inmates in their cells, the probable cause statement said. During the same time frame, Carson was seen on surveillance taking something off his person and pushing it under the doors of three different cells. 

The inmates in the cells where Carson was seen placing the items on surveillance footage later tested positive for methamphetamine, the statement said. On March 15, letters were found in Carson’s cell, including one from an inmate who tested positive for meth asking “Wayne” how much he had left and what he wants for it. 

Other notes found in Carson’s cell from inmates included requests a “little bit more” and to work out a deal for some “met.” 

The probable cause statement noted Carson was in the county jail serving a sanction through the Tooele County Drug Court and on probation with state Adult Probation and Parole when the offenses occurred. 

Carson is scheduled to make his first appearance in 3rd District Court before Judge Matthew Bates on Tuesday. 

The state medical examiner’s office has confirmed the death of an inmate in the Tooele County Detention Center in January was a suicide. 

Chip Thayne Anderson, 39, of Grantsville, was found unconscious in his cell the morning of Jan. 16, following an apparent suicide attempt, according to a release from the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office. He was flown to a Salt Lake area hospital and died from his injuries on Jan. 17. Anderson had been booked into the jail on Jan. 10 for violating a protective order.

In the medical examiner’s report, Anderson’s cause of death was listed as complications from a brain injury in which oxygen was cut off from his brain suffered due to hanging. The included toxicology report found Anderson tested negative on urine tests for controlled substances.

In the medical examiner’s opinion, it said Anderson was alone in his cell and video does not show another person enter or exit his cell before he was discovered. 

The last time an inmate died at the Tooele County Detention Center was July 31, 2016 as a result of an overdose.

The Interstate 80 interchange bridge at Exit 99 remains down to a single westbound lane as construction begins to replace the structure. 

On Monday, construction crews were preparing steel pylons for the new bridge, which will be erected adjacent to the existing overpass bridge, according to Utah Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Beery. Crews have also been moving earth for road base. 

The new overpass bridge will be moved into place once it’s constructed, similar to the plans for the Union Pacific railroad bridges near Black Rock, Beery said. The work currently being done now is preliminary construction, with the project expected to continue through the summer. 

The Exit 99 interchange bridge and railroad bridges are part of a $30 million project slated for completion this year. The project is currently in environmental review and design, with construction slated to start mid-summer and continue through the fall, according to Beery. 

The interchange bridge is scheduled for completion first, according to UDOT. A pothole repair project on the bridge at Lake Point in January 2017 delayed evening commuters for hours and caused traffic to back up on I-80 to 7200 West.

In addition to the bridge project, UDOT will repave I-80 between mileposts 30 and 40, near the Knolls interchange, as part of planned maintenance on the interstate, according to UDOT. Crews will also install cable median barriers along I-80 between mileposts 18 and 33, near the Tree of Life sculpture.

Another project in the county this year will be the repaving of 15 miles of SR-36, from the junction with SR-73 to a mile north of the Pony Express Trail.