The Nevada man who threatened an employee at Vasa Fitness in Tooele, before fleeing to the roof of the gym and jumping off, made his initial appearance in 3rd District Court last week. 

Randy Lee Gamwell, 56, is charged with first-degree felony burglary, second-degree felony receive or transfer of a stolen vehicle and third-degree felony aggravated assault. 

Tooele City police were dispatched to Vasa Fitness at 2:10 p.m. on April 9 on reports of a man with a gun, according to a probable cause statement. Officers were advised by dispatch that a man, later identified as Gamwell, had pulled a gun on a maintenance employee at Vasa Fitness and locked himself in the maintenance room at the gym. 

When officers arrived on scene, Gamwell was found lying on the ground near the northeast corner of the building on Garden Street, the statement said. During their approach, officers found a broken BB gun on the ground near Gamwell. 

Due to his injuries from falling off the roof, Gamwell was transported by ambulance to a medical helicopter pad, the statement said. An officer spoke with Gamwell after reading him his rights but Gamwell said he didn’t know what happened. 

The following day, Tooele City police spoke with Gamwell again, according to the probable cause statement. At this point, Gamwell admitted to knowing he was wanted by police and seeing his picture on the news. 

Gamwell told officers he saw a helicopter when he entered Vasa Fitness and assumed it was a police helicopter, the statement said. He said he was hiding in the maintenance room when the employee came in, which scared him and he yelled at them. 

Gamwell said he climbed onto the roof and noticed a small cable, which he thought he could use to swing to the pole and climb down, the statement said. When police asked about the BB gun, Gamwell said he purchased it at a local sporting good store. He said he was holding it when he yelled at the Vasa Fitness employee but denied pointing it at them. 

Gamwell said he bailed out of jail in Nevada and didn’t want to return, so he fled to Tooele, according to the probable cause statement. 

Gamwell made his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on May 7 before Judge Matthew Bates. His bail was set at $50,000 bondable and he was assigned a public defender. Gamwell is scheduled to return to court for a scheduling conference on May 15 at 9 a.m.

Multiple vehicles were involved in a wrong-way accident on state Route 36 Sunday evening near the intersection with Canyon Road in Lake Point, according to the Utah Highway Patrol. 

A passenger car traveling southbound on SR-36 near milepost 64 crossed across the middle multipurpose lane and into oncoming traffic for an unknown reason around 7 p.m., according to UHP. After entering the northbound lanes, the southbound passenger car struck another car head-on. 

The northbound vehicle collided with a third car, which caused a fourth and fifth vehicle to be involved in the accident, UHP said. All of the additional vehicles involved in the accident were in the northbound lanes. 

The driver in the southbound vehicle was transported by medical helicopter in critical condition, according to UHP. The drivers in the second and third vehicles involved in the crash were transported by ambulance in poor condition. There were no other reported injuries. 

Troopers are still determining if fatigue or another factor contributed to the crash, according to UHP. 

As a result of the accident, all northbound lanes of SR-36 were closed and traffic was diverted through Lake Point for about two hours while investigators reviewed the crash, the roadway was cleared and the medical helicopter landed.

Sometimes you just have to put down the phone, get off social media and leave town for a few days. 

That’s the thought behind the trips I’ve taken to national parks in the past two years with friends from college. Last year, it was camping in Glacier and this year, my first excursion to Zion, with a quick stopover in Bryce Canyon. 

While the trip to Glacier involved my wife and two college friends, the roster was slimmer this time around. It was just me and my freshman roommate, Brad, due to the entanglements of everyone’s lives. 

It seems like it gets harder every year to assemble friends from college as we spread around the country, buy houses, get married and do the other typical things people do in their late 20s. 

Either way, it was a guys’ road trip and weekend down to the southern reaches of the state for a Monday through Friday break from the world. We had managed to snag a campsite in Zion and were excited to set up a tent, go for some hikes and relax. 

Having Brad as a travel companion usually works out well. For one thing, we lived together for an entire year in close quarters and didn’t kill each other. We also have the same cavalier attitude toward planning trips — talk about it a couple of times, gather up what seems like everything we’d need for the trip and head out. 

Did we bring absolutely everything we needed on the trip? We did not. But I’ll never admit it to my wife (who abhors the way we plan for trips.)

After a day of setting up camp, getting acquainted with the park and drinking a couple of beers with our feet in the river, Brad and I tackled our first major hike on Tuesday — Angel’s Landing. 

I’m no great fan of possibly falling from great heights and the fact several people — the most recent this February — have died on the hike to Angel’s Landing made me cautious.

Once on the narrow trail, which requires chains and a bit of focus to navigate, I found it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. The biggest challenge was maneuvering around hikers heading in the opposite direction and waiting for your chance to advance. 

The view from the top was worth the hints of danger along the trail. It’s not often you get to look down on a Peregrine Falcon from above. 

The following day, Brad and I tackled another unique challenge — the Narrows. The hike up the Virgin River was open a bit earlier than usual due to low water and we rented the neoprene socks, waterproof boots and hiking sticks to make it a bit easier. 

Entering the river with the walls of the canyon towering overhead is an incredible experience. We spent nearly seven hours hiking up and back down the river. The water never got above our waists and the hot temperatures — 96 degrees in the sun — made up for the chilly water.

Like the other spectacular sights in Zion, the Narrows lived up to its reputation before experiencing it. Nature has a way of delivering on the spectacular that man-made constructs never do. Just ask my wife, who on a trip to Paris was roundly unimpressed by the Eiffel Tower. 

The day after getting our feet wet with the Narrows, Brad and I took on the East Rim Trail, which ends at Observation Point. The slot canyon midway through the hike was a highlight, as was the spectacular view at the turnaround, where you look down on Angel’s Landing and the rest of the valley below. 

Three days, three strenuous hikes while sleeping on the fairly unforgiving ground at the campsite — not to mention the fact our tent tried to blow over every night in the rolling canyon winds — and it was time to head for home. We stopped on the way back for a hike in Bryce Canyon and scout out the park for a possible return visit. 

Just like that, however, it was back to reality and work on Monday. It was nice to feel recharged and ready to work — but I can’t wait for the next camping escape.

The Grantsville City Council approved an amended final plat for the first phase of a development but tabled a conditional use permit over concerns about road width. 

The city council voted to approve an amended final plat at the Mustang Ridge subdivision, located south of Main Street near the intersection with Hunter Way. Seven of the 26 lots in this phase of the development were adjusted, to create an additional lot and comply with Utah Department of Transportation road access requirements. 

Councilman Tom Tripp expressed concerns about requiring property owners to maintain retention basins as they could become filled with weeds but said it is allowed under current city ordinances. 

The city council had more concerns with a conditional use permit from the same developer, Adam Nash, in the Mustang Ridge subdivision. The CUP called for the creation of seven multi-family units that would share a driveway with an existing single family home on East Main Street. 

The council agreed the private drive that runs behind the townhomes would need to be 26 feet wide, per city ordinance, as opposed to 20 feet. There were concerns about a hammerhead turnaround and possible impacts on turning fire department vehicles. 

Councilman Scott Stice also had concerns about approving a project with a 20-foot drive after the council denied a planned unit development application with a 42-foot wide private road at its May 2 meeting. The CUP presented at Wednesday’s meeting includes nine spaces for visitor parking. 

The city council tabled the conditional use permit to give the developer time to expand the private drive and reconfigure the layout of the townhomes.

The Grantsville City Council reviewed the city’s $5.7 million tentative budget during its work session Wednesday evening. 

Grantsville City finance director Sherrie Broadbent walked the council through the various department budgets during the 90-minute meeting, which preceded the business meeting at 7 p.m. Among the discussion points was the $212,500 increase in the police department budget. 

Broadbent said the increase includes hiring an additional officer and moving an officer from part-time bailiff duty to full-time police work. She said the cost of a new officer, including salary, benefits and equipment, is about $100,000.

The department is hiring an additional officer to provide better backup, according to Broadbent. Officers on overnight shifts can be put in dangerous situations if they’re waiting for backup from other law enforcement agencies, said Grantsville City Attorney Brett Coombs. 

“The reason for the officer is not to get more money for fines, it is to have safety for officers,” Broadbent said. 

Some equipment purchases will be split between several department budgets which use it. A new Ford F-550 will be split between the Class C roads, water and sewer funds and a vacuum trailer will be halved between the water and sewer budgets. 

The city will also set aside $2,500 for an employee safety program, which is required by the city’s insurance provider. The money would cover incentives such as a raffle system for employees who submit safety suggestions and have no workplace accidents.

The city had nine workers comp claims in 2017 and 12 in 2016, Broadbent said. The city had no workers comp claims in 2015. Broadbent said the majority of the recent claims have been through the police and fire departments, which included injuries suffered during training. 

The city council is expected to vote on the city’s final budget on June 20.

Alejandro Sainz

The suspect in a non-fatal shooting in Middle Canyon was arrested by Tooele County Sheriff’s deputies in South Salt Lake Tuesday afternoon. 

Deputies were originally dispatched to a residence on Middle Canyon Road at 12:56 a.m. Tuesday on reports of a shooting, according to a probable cause statement. The victim said he had run to the home, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the buttocks.

The victim told police he was in the canyon at an unspecified campground when Alejandro Sainz and two other men drove up in a white passenger vehicle, the statement said. The victim said he knew Sainz from previous encounters and was familiar with his ex-girlfriend. 

Both the victim and Sainz are known to law enforcement from multiple previous dealings, the statement said. 

There was an argument between the victim and the three men, which ended with Sainz shooting the victim, the probable cause statement said. After the shooting, the three men and the victim fled the scene. 

The victim told police he drove at over 60 mph and crashed his vehicle into trees and other obstructions, according to the probable cause statement. The vehicle became disabled after the airbag deployed following the crash and the victim fled on foot, according to Tooele County Sheriff Paul Wimmer. 

The sheriff’s office is still investigating why the victim and Sainz were in Middle Canyon around 1 a.m., Wimmer said. 

Sainz was apprehended by officers from the South Salt Lake Police Department on Tuesday, as well as his ex-girlfriend and another person, who was interviewed and released. Sainz’s girlfriend was arrested and booked for an outstanding warrant. 

Sainz was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and possession of a weapon by a restricted person. 

An Ibapah man is facing a pair of felony charges after he allegedly threatened his father with a knife while they were driving through Wendover. 

Kevin Matthew Naranjo, 30, is charged with third-degree felony aggravated assault, third-degree felony assault by a prisoner and misdemeanor counts of possession or use of a controlled substance, use or possession of drug paraphernalia and interference with arresting officer. 

A Wendover City police officer was parked in the area of 100 E. Wendover on May 13 when a blue passenger vehicle pulled alongside their patrol vehicle and the driver got out quickly, the probable cause statement said. The driver said his son in the passenger seat had attempted to stab him with a knife. 

The officer saw the passenger, later identified as Naranjo, sitting with his right hand not visible, the statement said. When the officer told Naranjo to show him his hands, he raised his left hand but not his right. 

When the officer told him to show his hands again, Naranjo showed both hands, at which point the officer heard a noise like something being dropped, the statement said. Naranjo complied with a request to exit the vehicle and the officer saw multiple glass pipes like those used for drug use. 

As the officer took Naranjo into custody, he noticed a blue-handled knife between the passenger seat and the door, which was semi-folded with some of the blade visible, the probable cause statement said. 

While he was escorted to the officer’s patrol vehicle, Naranjo attempted to pull free and threatened the officer, the statement said. He had to be pushed into the patrol vehicle after he refused to cooperate and sit inside, according to the arresting officer. 

During an interview with police, Naranjo’s father told police Naranjo became upset during the drive and made verbal threats, before pulling out the knife and setting it on the dash, the statement said. Naranjo took the knife off the dash later, folded it closed then back open, then made a stabbing motion. 

Following that, Naranjo threw objects, including the glass pipes, according to his father. His father said Naranjo made several more stabbing motions at him during the trip. 

When he was transported to a holding cell, Naranjo threw his head back, hitting the arresting officer in the left eye and forehead, the statement said. He attempted to headbutt the officer again and kicked the cell door repeatedly after he was placed inside by additional officers. 

Naranjo made his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on Monday, where bail was set at $5,000 bondable and he was assigned an attorney. He is scheduled to return to court for a scheduling conference on May 29 at 9 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates.

Competitors took on a revamped and expanded course at Dugway Proving Ground last Friday for the seventh annual Tactical Top Shot Competition. 

A total of 75 participants, primarily area law enforcement officers, including the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office, and local service members, took on six fast-paced courses using shotguns, rifles and pistols. The competition has grown and evolved through feedback from law enforcement, military and civilian shooters, according to Dugway Director of Emergency Services Phillip Fishbeck.

“Every year we ask for feedback from the shooters,” Fishbeck said. “We look at each and every single one of them and we try to put some weight on it and actually say, ‘What can we do? How can we progress this officer’s concern? How can we address this individual’s need for a different activity?’”

The long-distance rifle course had one of the more noticeable changes, with participants firing at targets as far as 500 yards away from the turret of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle. In the past, shooters laid on a trailer and fired from a prone position, Fishbeck said. 

“This year we decided to incorporate a piece of military equipment used in the battlefield,” he said. 

Participants were given two minutes to complete each of the five shooting stations, which had different points of emphasis. Any remaining targets at the time limit were a penalty. The sixth station was a new edition to the event — tomahawk throwing — which was untimed. 

Another new addition to the competition was a digital timing system, where shooters would use a pistol to shoot a target to start and stop their total time on the course. 

“This year we’re utilizing this digital start and stop timer system so it gives a more accurate time versus a shot clock or the stop watches,” Fishbeck said.

Fishbeck said it takes about six months to plan the competition and the Dugway Police Department about one week to set up the various shooting courses. Dugway dispatchers, firefighters and medics also volunteered for the annual event. 

A first-time participant, Tooele County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Roberts said he enjoyed the shooting courses. He was one of three Tooele County Sheriff’s deputies participating Friday.

“I think it’s set up great,” Roberts said. “Good competition out here. I haven’t done the other courses but this one’s fun.”

It was the second time competing in Top Shot for Tooele High graduate Ketrah Dekanich, who serves in the University of Utah’s Army ROTC program. 

“I think last year was really well done,” Dekanich said. “I think this year is a lot more organized with the amount of people that came out and I think it’s a lot more difficult course this year than last year.”

A junior next fall, Dekanich said she participates in shooting competitions as a way to get outdoors, get tips on shooting and honor law enforcement during National Police Week. Her father, James Dekanich, is the Dugway Chief of Police. 

Agencies involved in Top Shot Competition included the Salt Lake City, Unified, Sandy City and Draper City police departments, as well as the Utah National Guard, U.S. Air Force Reserve and more. 

The winner in the Factory Men’s Division was Salt Lake City Police Officer Aaron Buchei in 213.13 seconds. The Factory Women’s Division winner was Unified Police Officer Tiffany Twitchell-Smith in 573.91 seconds. 

In the Practical Women’s Division, sponsored shooter Lisa Libby won in 315.28 seconds. Unified Police Officer Phillip Vollmer was the winner in the Practical Men’s Division in a time of 201.62 seconds. 

Provo City Police Detective Troy Morgan won the Unlimited Men’s Division in 265.03 seconds. 

The men’s and women’s tomahawk champ’s were Staff Sgt. Tiffany Donovan of the 419th Security Forces and Agent Andrew Dalton of Utah Adult Probation and Parole. 

Motorists traveling between Salt Lake and Tooele counties will face significant delays on Interstate 80 beginning next week due to lane closures in both directions, according to the Utah Department of Transportation.  

While construction of new railroad overpass bridges on I-80 near Black Rock won’t begin yet, there will be single lane closures on the existing bridges in both directions beginning May 30. The closures will allow road construction crews to fill potholes and patch the bridge decks prior to replacement, according to Tim Beery, UDOT Region Two communications manager. 

Repair work on the bridges, and the resulting closures, are expected to last about one week, Beery said. Motorists are encouraged to use state Route 201 to bypass the bridges, as delays are expected to be significant, he said. 

A single lane on the I-80 interchange at Exit 99 has been closed since April as crews prepare to build the new bridge, which will have a new alignment over I-80. 

The most significant impact on traffic for the railroad overpasses is expected to be this fall, when there will be long-term closures affecting both directions of travel. 

The two bridges, which span the Union Pacific railroad tracks near Black Rock, are scheduled to be replaced as part of a $30 million project that began this spring. The new bridges will be built adjacent to the existing structures then moved into place, according to UDOT. The westbound bridge will be constructed first, north of the interstate, Beery said.

Once the bridge is complete, traffic will be diverted onto eastbound I-80, which will be reduced to one lane in each direction, for approximately three weeks, according to UDOT. During this time, the existing bridge will be demolished and the new bridge will be moved into place.

The process will then repeat itself on the eastbound bridge, which is also expected to take about three weeks to complete.

The new bridges at Black Rock will only be painted for two lanes of travel but will have the capacity for three lanes for future travel demand in Tooele County, according to Beery.

A 71-year-old Layton man died after his four-wheeler rolled while riding in the Indian Springs area Tuesday afternoon, according to the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office. 

Darrell Meibos and his wife were camping in Lookout Springs and riding ATVs on a rough section of road south of Simpson Springs around 2:15 p.m., according to Tooele County Sheriff Paul Wimmer. Investigators believe Meibos hit a dip on the road, causing the ATV to leave the road and roll down an embankment. 

Meibos’s wife had to drive her ATV 15 miles from the accident to get a cell signal to call for help and ran out of gas on the return trip, Wimmer said. First responders from Terra Fire Department picked up the woman on their way to the accident. 

A medical helicopter was able to land in the area and medical staff from Dugway Proving Ground responded but Meibos was pronounced dead at the scene, Wimmer said. He was wearing a helmet but the ATV rolled over top of him during the accident. 

Meibos’s exact cause of death has yet to be determined by the state Medical Examiner’s office, Wimmer said.

A Grantsville man is facing a felony burglary charge after he was allegedly discovered inside a home and attacked a man.

Bobby Lee Waddell, 66, is charged with second-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor assault. 

Grantsville City police were dispatched to a residence on Willow Street on May 12 around 12:21 p.m. on reports of an assault, according to a probable cause statement. The victim had entered the home, with permission from the owner, to let the owner’s dogs back in while the owner was in the hospital. 

Prior to entering the home, the victim’s wife told him the front door was locked and she had heard someone inside the residence, the statement said. When the victim entered the rear of the home, he noticed a cat in a back room that did not belong to the homeowner. 

When the victim entered the back room, Waddell came out from behind the door and attacked him, according to the probable cause statement. The victim said he was taken to the ground but defended himself by hitting Waddell in the head with his walking cane.

The victim said Waddell moved his hands up as if he was attempting to grasp the victim by his throat but was unable to, the statement said. Eventually Waddell let the victim go in exchange for not being hit again, the victim said. 

Waddell had been trespassing on the property earlier in the week and was told not to return without a police escort, the statement said. Waddell told police he had arrived at the home around 8:45 p.m. the previous night and remained there for about 16 hours. 

Waddell was taken to Mountain West Medical Center for treatment of his head wounds, the statement said. After he was treated and cleared, Waddell was arrested and transported to the Tooele County Detention Center. 

During his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on Monday, Waddell was assigned a public defender and bail was set at $10,000. He is scheduled to return to court for a scheduling conference at 9 a.m. on May 29.

The Stansbury Service Agency board approved changes to the agency’s cemetery policy and two three-year leases on mowers during its meeting Wednesday evening. 

Stansbury Park Service Agency manager Gary Jensen requested funds to lease two 72-inch mowers. Jensen said he had to take two mowers for repairs last Friday which cost more than $700; he took two more mowers in for repairs on Wednesday. 

“They’re just old,” he said. “They’re mowing 100 and some acres of grass a week.”

The service agency’s mowers are over a decade old, Jensen said. The lease was for three years at $330.27 per month, per unit for a total cost of $23,779.44. 

Jensen said after the lease is up, the service agency can return the mowers or purchase them at fair market value. He said the agency doesn’t have the money to buy new mowers right now but the old mowers are costing hundreds in repairs. 

The board unanimously approved the lease; board chairman Neil Smart was absent. 

Trustee Glenn Oscarson also presented new rules for the cemetery, which would allow cremated remains to be buried in standard burial plots. 

While the cemetery offers 4-foot by 4-foot burial plots for cremated remains, Oscarson proposed allowing up to three sets of cremated remains to be stored in a full-size burial plot. One set of cremated remains could also be buried about a standard vault in the same plot.

“This will help us with the ability in the future, should people choose that,” Oscarson said.

For multiple cremations in a single plot, a single upright marker would be allowed. Additional markers would need to be flat to the ground and list the name, dates and relation of the deceased. 

The cost for interment rights in the cemetery is $400 for an adult resident or $800 for an adult non-resident. For cremated remains, interment rights cost $250 for residents and $400 for non-residents. 

Fees for opening and closing of the grave would be incurred in plots with multiple cremations. Opening and closing fees for cremations are $150 on weekdays and $250 on weekends. 

Motorists are urged to expect delays and use caution while traveling on state highways over Memorial Day weekend, according to the Utah Department of Transportation. 

Crashes nearly double between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which UDOT has dubbed “Utah’s 100 Deadliest Days.” In 2017, 89 people died on Utah roadways during that span. 

In a release, UDOT urged drivers to focus on the task at hand and obey speed limits, as 94 percent of all crashes are caused by human error. Factors such as distracted driving, speeding, exhaustion and impairment are considered human error. 

In the past five years alone, speeding resulted in 111 deaths on Utah roadways, according to UDOT. 

Motorists traveling this weekend are also expected to face heavy traffic, especially on Interstate 15 along the Wasatch Front, UDOT said. Delays along I-15 are expected to last as long as 90 minutes during peak travel hours. 

UDOT engineers project increased holiday traffic between 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, according to a release. On Monday, traffic is expected to be heaviest from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. as motorists return home. 

After a busy weekend of holiday traffic, Tooele County motorists can expect additional delays beginning May 30. Interstate 80 will be reduced to one lane in both directions for approximately one mile near the state Route 201 interchange while crews patch the railroad overpass bridges. 

UDOT recommends using SR-201 and state Route 202 to avoid the lane closures on I-80, which are expected to last about a week. Delays are expected to be significant, according to UDOT Region 2 communications director Tim Beery. 

A 23-year-old woman living in Park City died in a single-vehicle accident Sunday evening after the driver swerved to avoid hitting a deer or antelope, according to the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office. 

A white GMC Yukon with four occupants from Park City were leaving a gathering in Ophir Canyon and ended up southbound on Stark Road around 9:15 p.m., according to Tooele County Sheriff Paul Wimmer. A deer or antelope jumped into the SUV’s path, causing the driver to swerve, overcorrect and leave the roadway, which made the vehicle roll several times. 

Bianey Padilla-Munibe, 23, was unrestrained and ejected from the vehicle during the crash, Wimmer said. She was declared dead at the scene of the accident. 

The driver and other two occupants of the vehicle were wearing seatbelts and suffered minor injuries, Wimmer said. They were treated by ambulance staff on site and released. 

While the accident is still being investigated, speed and impairment are not considered to be factors, Wimmer said. 

Wimmer said it’s important for drivers to be careful when avoiding objects in the road and aware there is the possibility of game animals or livestock on Tooele County roads. He said if it is not possible to safely slow down or avoid an animal in the road, it is better to hit it and avoid endangering the vehicle’s occupants. 

The holiday weekend saw three significant fires, including a pickup truck that caught fire on state Route 36 on Friday afternoon.

The pickup truck was traveling southbound on SR-36 when it caught fire near the intersection with Bryan Road at 12:37 p.m., according to North Tooele Fire District spokesman Ryan Willden. Traffic was momentarily shut down while fire crews responded to the blaze and due to poor visibility from the smoke. 

When the driver of the burning pickup truck pulled off the roadway, it came close to grass and burned approximately a fifth-acre of private land, according to Tooele County Fire Warden Daniel Walton. 

Firefighters with North Tooele Fire District and Walton responded to the truck and field fire, which was put out quickly, Willden said. Backup crews to the fire were canceled and the cause of the vehicle fire is undetermined. 

Later the same day, a wildfire was sparked on Straight Shot Lane between Faust and Vernon, about a half mile east of SR-36, around 7 p.m., according to Walton. 

A group had set up a charcoal grill to cook a meal and a generator for their camper trailer prior to the fire, Walton said. It has yet to be determined if hot coals from the grill or the hot exhaust of the generator caught dry grass at the site on fire. 

The fire was pushed uphill and burned 1.9 acres of grass and brush on Bureau of Land Management property, according to Walton. Vernon, Rush Valley, Stockton, and Tooele Army Depot fire departments responded to the fire, as well as Walton and the BLM. 

A third fire was sparked as a result of target shooting on Saturday afternoon, according to Walton. Multiple groups were target shooting in the area near Poverty Point at the southeast end of the Lakeside Mountains. 

By the time the fire was contained, approximately 25 acres of grass and brush burned on BLM and state School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration property, Walton said. North Tooele Fire District and Walton responded to the blaze. 

Witness statements and evidence in the area determined an unknown individual fired a high-powered rifle on a rocky slope, which sparked the fire, according to Walton. The individual then fled the scene. 

When Jay Weyland and his fellow docents took a look at the north wall of the Donner Reed Museum wall a few years ago, they noticed something didn’t look normal.

The walls of the museum, especially the north wall, appeared to be bulging outward. 

“So we went on to the inside of the building and noticed that the casing on the windows was pulling away from the frames of the windows,” Weyland said. 

For lack of better options, Weyland used a museum pamphlet along the window frame to mark the current gap with the casing. He said they hoped to document if the walls were experiencing continued deterioration. 

“It turned out that was the best option of all,” Weyland said. “If I had got a tape measure and went down and measured it … I would have been thinking, ‘What am I doing wrong, because this distance has changed a lot.’”

On Saturday morning, however, the walls of the museum were smooth, with no sign of bulging or cracks. Weyland was a speaker at a rededication and open house for the museum, which is housed in a building more than 150 years old. 

Grantsville City secured $158,000 in grant money in city funds to repair the failing structure, including a $100,000 grant from the state Legislature in 2017. The city contracted with Abstract Masonry Restoration to shore up the structural weaknesses of the building. 

The scope of work included removing deteriorated adobe brick that was replaced with cinderblock. Salvageable adobe brick was removed and reset in the wall and a lime-based stucco was applied over the rehabilitated sections of wall. 

Students at Grantsville High School built new window casings for the museum, as the previous ones were damaged by termites. 

Electricity is being added to the museum and a new heating and cooling system has been installed to keep the artifacts and building climate controlled. 

The city council had weighed several alternatives, including building a new museum or building a structure around the existing museum to protect it from the elements. Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall said the city made the right decision in restoring the 157-year old structure. 

“This restoration project had many structural challenges but looking back, this sentinel is now straight, strong and stable,” Marshall said. “A proud part of our community.”

Janet Cook also spoke on the history of the building and the Donner-Reed party, which passed through modern-day Grantsville.

“We are right in the path of early Grantsville history,” Cook said. “And I like to sometimes think when I go by here, what really transpired. What human drama took place in this location and is still taking place in this location.”  

The Donner Reed Museum is now open for the season, though the Twenty Wells Chapter of the Sons of the Utah Pioneers are still putting back displays and artifacts. During construction, the contents of the museum were stored in shipping containers provided by Tooele Army Depot. 

The museum building has a long and varied history. It started out as a schoolhouse, before serving as city hall and an automobile repair shop when Clark Street was still the Lincoln Highway.

The museum building was last fully restored by J. Reuben Clark Jr. in 1950.

When Charles Prows started Dogs’ Day on the Lake six years ago, he was just looking for an opportunity for his own dog to swim in Stansbury Lake with a few other dogs. 

From modest beginnings, the annual event is now expecting more than the approximately 75 dogs that attended last year. On Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., dogs will take over the shore and lake behind the Stansbury Clubhouse and swimming pool. 

The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring water toys, poop bags and sunscreen for the four hours. 

Prows, who owns Kibbles & Cuts in Stansbury Park and Sandy, said the event is popular in part due to there being few off-leash areas in the county. When everyone first arrives at Dogs’ Day on the Lake, the owners can be apprehensive about their dogs getting too wet and wild, but that changes, he said. 

“Gradually over the course of the event, people get more relaxed,” he said. 

Some dogs like to swim the whole time, others play fetch in the shallows or stick to the shore, Prows said. He said one woman brings her cat; two other ladies have brought pomeranians in dresses. 

By holding the event on Sunday early in June, the dogs get their day at the lake with less impact on all the human-related activities on the lake the rest of the year, Prows said. 

In addition to Kibbles & Cuts, the event is sponsored by Kung Fu Canine, a behavioral dog training business in Tooele. Prows said Kung Fu Canine provides 10 volunteers with training in dog body language and behavior to police possible conflict between attendees. 

Dogs’ Day on the Lake is also sponsored by Barkworthies, an all-natural dog treats business and Nulo Pet Food. 

The Grantsville City Police Department honored its officers for their contributions in the past year at an awards banquet Tuesday evening. 

The awards banquet was held in the community room of the new Grantsville City Justice Center, which was completed last year. Attendees had a barbecue dinner before the awards presentation and a video montage recapping the year. 

Some of the awards were voted on by the department, while others were nominated, or selected by city administration. 

Grantsville City Police Chief Enslen broke with tradition, giving out two Chief’s Awards during the ceremony Tuesday night. 

The first was presented to Sgt. Lydon Allred, who moved to the patrol division from investigations. 

“We’re seeing great things from our patrol under his leadership,” Enslen said. “… He’s got us moving in the right direction.” 

The second Chief’s Award went to Officer Cody Painter, in recognition of his department-leading statistics in DUI arrests and drug busts. 

“He is impressing, especially with the number of DUIs that he keeps getting in the city,” Enslen said. “He’s doing a lot for us.”

Painter received several other awards and commendations for his contributions, including the Superman DUI/Drug Award, Super NARC Award, and an accommodation for the largest drug bust in Grantsville City history.

Lt. Robert Sager was recognized as the Officer of the Year and received the Attorney’s Award. Another multiple award winner was Officer Michael Watkins, who received the Superman Award and Crime Prevention Award.

Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall presented the Mayor’s Award to Enslen, citing his work since taking over the department and on the completion of the justice center. 

Officers Jake Stewart and Morgan Swensen received the Community Service Award, and Officer Jeremy Watkins was recognized as the Community Service Hero. 

The Life-saving Award was presented to Sgt. Rhonda Fields and the Citizen’s Award was given to Painter and Officer Jake Stewart.

Deputies, dispatchers and civilian employees of the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office were honored for their work at an annual banquet Thursday evening at Tooele Technical College. 

Sheriff’s office employees received awards following a video recapping the year and a dinner provided by Ultimate Catering. 

“There’s an entire shift of deputies over at the jail right now that it’s not an option for them to attend tonight,” Wimmer said. “It’s that type of service that makes these banquets happen … I know there’s a whole lot more great work going on out there and we just really appreciate the day-in and day-out effort of each and every one of you.”

Employees recognized for five years of experience were control room operators Aimee Gonzalez and Stephanie Vargas, and crossing guard Tiffany Magleby. The 10-year recipients were Sgt. Norberto Aranda, Deputy Shane Didericksen, Brooke Bowen and Monica Drew. 

Employees recognized for 15 years of experience were Lt. Eli Wayman and Deputy Thomas Humphreys. Dispatcher Shannon Gowans was recognized for 20 years with the sheriff’s office. 

Vargas, Pam Weaver, dispatcher Makayla Russell, and deputies Mindy Millett and Chris Reyes received Outstanding Service Awards for their respective divisions within the sheriff’s office. The entire investigations unit of the sheriff’s office — Aranda, Deputy Jim White and detectives Shane Starks, Andrew Goss and Derek Brummel — also received an Outstanding Service Award. 

Darren Holden was recognized for his actions to assist the victims of a September ATV accident near Vernon with the Citizen of the Year Award. Holden came upon the crash site and, after assessing the scene, left for better cell phone reception.

After calling for assistance, Holden returned to the accident site and render assistance to a female victim who stopped breathing. He was able to get her breathing again and provide aid until a medical helicopter arrived. 

Sgt. Heather Prescott received the Lifesaving Award after she assisted a woman who called dispatch after a customer at Delle gas station became unconscious. She gave the caller instructions on who to administer chest compressions until first responders were on scene.

The customer began breathing on their own within seven minutes of the call coming in to dispatch, according to the nomination letter. 

The corrections team of Sgt. Dustin Long, Aimee Gonzalez, and deputies Mark Hayden, Shaylee Holley and Wilbert Tso received the Sheriff’s Award for aid they provided to an inmate who attempted suicide. The team gave chest compressions until ambulance crews arrived and a pulse was detected, the nomination letter said. 

“It was a moment of pride, as I watched these guys do what they do best,” Wimmer said.  “They were firing on all cylinders. There’s nothing I would have asked them to do differently that night.”

Deputy Scott Caldwell also received a Sheriff’s Award in recognition of his output on DUI enforcement and arrests, in addition to his remarkable work ethic, Wimmer said. 

Following shootings like those at Santa Fe High School and Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the FBI and law enforcement around the nation often see an increase in threats of similar violence.

The FBI launched a new campaign last week to educate the public on the consequence of posting hoax threats, which could result in federal charges with a five-year prison sentence, according to a release. Law enforcement follow up on all threats, real or hoax, which can drain resources and cost taxpayers’ money. 

Tooele County law enforcement don’t see many hoax threats, according to Tooele County Sheriff’s Lt. Eli Wayman and Tooele City Police Sgt. Jeremy Hansen. 

Earlier this year, the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office sent additional deputies to Stansbury Park schools after threats were made against a SHS, Wayman said. The threat was investigated and determined to be a school with the same abbreviation in a different state.

Hansen said there were six threat cases since October but five of the six were not hoax threats directed at schools or public places. He said in one case, a female student posted a threat on social media but the post was immediately taken down. 

Both Hansen and Wayman said most of the instances of threats are made by students who make inappropriate comments when they’re upset. 

“We have had children make comments on social media which were dealt with quickly through school, parents and law enforcement working together and most appeared to be statements made in bravado rather than with intent,” Wayman said. 

A lot of the time, threats are just offhand comments or, as in two cases, a student making a finger gun at another, according to Hansen. He said in one case, a student made a threat since they knew they’d get sent home from school. 

“It’s not something to be joked about,” Hansen said. 

Hansen said the police department investigates any threat made and when appropriate, charges are filed by the department. 

“We take them all seriously,” Hansen said. 

The public contacting law enforcement is crucial to curbing hoax threats, according to the FBI. If someone witnesses suspicious behavior or believes there is a potential threat, they can contact local law enforcement by calling 911 or contacting the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI.