A New York man is facing a felony charge after he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman on an Amtrak train while it passed through Tooele County. 

Elijah S. Pineiro-Zucker, 19, of Woodstock, is charged with first-degree felony object rape. 

Utah Highway Patrol was dispatched to the Salt Lake City Amtrak station on reports of a sexual assault at around 3:30 a.m. on May 18, according to a probable cause statement. The train conductor told troopers a male passenger, later identified as Pineiro-Zucker, had assaulted a woman on the train. 

It was reported the assault occurred as the train was traveling about 10 miles east of the Nevada state line, according to the statement. 

The victim was taken to the hospital and then was interviewed by investigators in the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office, the statement said. During the interview, detectives learned the victim was engaged in a conversation with another passenger near a bathroom on the train and Pineiro-Zucker grabbed her by the waist, trying to get her to go into the bathroom with him. 

The victim said she refused and went to an upper deck on the train and sat down, according to the probable cause statement. Pineiro-Zucker sat next to the victim and started to grab her and rub her thigh, and she pushed him away, the victim said. 

The victim said Pineiro-Zucker was able to get his hands under her pants and she began to cry, the statement said. Another passenger witnessed the incident and reported it to a train conductor, who came to her aid. 

During his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on Monday, Pineiro-Zucker’s bail was set at $100,000. He is scheduled to return to court for a scheduling conference on June 12 at 9 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates.

A Taylorsville woman is facing misdemeanor charges after her husky got loose on a visit to Tooele City, then attacked and killed more than two dozen animals Monday morning. 

Mackenzie G. Morton, 29, is charged in Tooele County Justice Court with one count of misdemeanor animals running at large and five counts of misdemeanor animal bite of another domestic animal.

The husky raided the backyard of two Tooele City homes, killing 15 chickens at one home and one cat, two ducks, two rabbits, five chickens, a turkey and a goose at another, according to Tooele City Police Sgt. Jeremy Hansen. The call to dispatch was received at 6:22 a.m. but one victim told police they believe the attack started as early as 4:30 a.m. It took police a couple more hours to capture the dog, which evaded officers until about 9 a.m. 

While Morton faces misdemeanor criminal charges, her husky will face an administrative hearing conducted, per Tooele City code. The dog, which is being held at the Tooele City Animal Shelter, will be evaluated to determine if it is potentially dangerous or dangerous, Hansen said. 

Tooele City code dictates a potentially dangerous designation can be assigned if an animal “has a known propensity to attack unprovoked or to cause or otherwise to threaten the safety of humans or domestic animals.” One way an animal can be declared dangerous is if it “without provocation, killed a pet or domestic animal,” the code said. 

The code also requires the city weighs the animal’s previous history, the nature and extent of injuries, the location where the attack took place and the owner’s ability and willingness to train and control the animal. 

If an animal is determined potentially dangerous, Tooele City code allows the police chief to impose reasonable conditions or restrictions on the owner’s possession of the animal and its training or handling to protect the public. 

If an animal is deemed dangerous, the city’s animal control division will euthanize it. 

Tooele Valley Meats is under pressure from an animal rights group following a recent suspension due to an alleged botched killing of a pig. 

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals notified the Tooele County Attorney’s Office of a letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which temporarily suspended the slaughter of animals at Tooele Valley Meats. 

The USDA letter described an incident on May 21 in which a Tooele Valley Meats’ employee attempted to stun a large male hog with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. The employee fired at the hog, which remained standing and “vocalizing in distress,” according to the USDA letter. 

The employee then made a second attempt with the same pistol, which did not render the hog unconscious, the USDA letter said. The employee attempted a third time then had to leave the kill-floor area as the pistol had no ammunition. 

After the third attempt, the hog was lying on its side and breathing rhythmically, the USDA letter said. Eight to 10 minutes passed between the first attempt and the third attempt. 

The employee was directed to retrieve an ammunition cartridge for a captive bolt device, during which another three to five minutes elapsed, according to the USDA. Following a misfire and reload, the hog was finally rendered unconscious in a fourth attempt, 15 minutes after the process began. 

The USDA inspector notified Tooele Valley Meats owner Ed Roberts of the non-compliance and resulting suspension. The noncompliance was specifically an egregious inhumane noncompliance, which refers to any act that causes severe harm to an animal, such as multiple stunning attempts. 

Tooele Valley Meats was also cited on March 22, after a USDA inspector observed an employee require three stunning attempts to knockout a hog. Following corrective actions and preventive measures, a suspension was held in abeyance. 

Roberts said the hog in the May 21 incident was large and aggressive, so the employee stood back farther than usual. He said employee safety is his number one priority. 

From a longer distance, the employee missed several shots but Roberts said the errant shots weren’t intentional or intended to cause additional harm to the hog. 

“It was an accident,” Roberts said. 

Roberts said his business is federally inspected and a USDA inspector always oversees slaughter operations. 

“We work with the USDA every day,” he said. 

Following the May 21 incident, slaughters at Tooele Valley Meats shut down for a week while the business worked with the USDA to tighten internal procedures, Roberts said. Among the changes: to only bring one animal to the kill-floor area at a time; in the past two animals were brought in at a time, according to Roberts. 

Once the changes to policy were accepted by the USDA, slaughter operations at Tooele Valley Meats were restored, Roberts said. 

PETA contacted Tooele County Attorney Scott Broadhead on Wednesday, requesting an investigation into criminal charges for the incident. The animals rights group alleged the Tooele Valley Meats employee violated Utah’s cruelty to animals law. 

“These disturbing revelations show that this pig suffered a prolonged, agonizing death at Tooele Valley Meats,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch, in a press release. 

Tooele County Attorney Scott Broadhead said he received the letter from PETA and is looking into the incident. 

After two snakes were found abandoned in a dumpster in Grantsville, Rockstar Pets owner Roger Prows is calling on Tooele County residents to take other steps if they can no longer care for an exotic or unusual pet. 

Prows said people will sometimes abandon pets by dropping them on the floor of his store and leaving, or leaving them outside. In other cases, people will release pets like snakes into the wild, which is not OK, he said. 

Unfortunately there’s not a lot of great options in Utah for owners of reptiles or amphibians who can no longer care for their animals, according to Prows. 

While most animal shelters and pet stores will take cats, dogs and some other mammals, it can be harder to find a home for snakes, lizards, tortoises and other animals, Prows said. 

There are some Facebook groups, such as the Wasatch Reptile & Invertebrate Keepers Society, where owners may be able to find a place to rehome their pet. A lot of time, private individuals run or organize the groups, which take on recovering reptiles, getting them vet care and finding long-term homes, Prows said. 

There are limited options for properly licensed shelters and it can be challenging to get volunteers organized to shelter reptiles or invertebrates, he said. 

Prows said outreach to state government and other possible funding sources for reptile rescue is another challenge. Most people’s eyes glaze over when discussing reptile care, but regardless of personal opinion, reptiles were produced in captivity and people should be committed to maintaining them, he said.

Funding could help ensure rescues for exotic pets are properly accredited and monitored, Prows said. 

Construction work on two railroad overpasses on Interstate 80 near Black Rock wrapped up early Tuesday morning, but construction delays aren’t over for the year. 

Both westbound lanes were opened to traffic Monday evening and the second eastbound lane was reopened today, according to Utah Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Beery. 

The work on the overpass bridges, which included patching the bridge deck and filling potholes, began last Wednesday and caused significant delays for commuters, with traffic backed up as far as Stansbury Park during peak hours. During construction, traffic was restricted to a single lane in both directions. 

UDOT encouraged commuters to use state Route 201 to bypass the construction chokepoint. Beery said traffic was moving quicker on SR-201 than I-80 during peak hours. 

A single lane of the I-80 interchange at Exit 99 remains closed as crews prepare for the new bridge, which will have a different alignment over the freeway. 

The construction on the railroad overpass bridges was a preview of conditions when the bridges are replaced later this year as part of a $30 million project that began this spring. The new bridges will be constructed adjacent to the existing ones, then moved into place, according to UDOT. 

When the westbound bridge is complete, for example, westbound traffic will be diverted onto eastbound I-80, with a single lane in each direction, according to UDOT. The old bridge will be torn down and the new bridge moved into place while traffic is rerouted. 

The process will repeat itself on the eastbound bridge, with traffic down to a single lane in each direction, according to UDOT. The lane closures for each bridge replacement are expected to last about three weeks. 

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.

Work on the bridges, including the I-80 interchange at Exit 99, is expected to continue into the fall. 

To avoid congestion during construciton, Beery recommended motorists plan trips ahead, carpool when possible and adjust commute times to help avoid delays. 

With a dry June expected to complete the curing of wildland fire fuels, Tooele County seems primed for an active wildfire season, according to the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands. 

The biggest difference between the fire forecast this year compared to last year is the heavy fuels are much drier, according to Jason Curry, spokesman for the Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands. Heavy fuels include any vegetation larger than grasses, including bushes or trees. 

Curry said light grasses are on their way to being cured.

“From this point on, it’s just going to get busier,” he said, in reference to wildfire activity. 

Tooele County is facing above normal potential for significant wildland fires in July and August, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Above average temperatures and persistent moderate drought are expected to contribute to fire conditions. 

There is the possibility that monsoon effects in southern Utah, beginning in July, could affect parts of northern Utah, according to Curry. It’s uncertain if Tooele County will see any of the mitigating effects of the monsoonal conditions, however, he said. 

With little snow during the winter, higher elevations are especially dry and in danger of wildfires, Curry said. 

More than half of the wildfires in Utah last year were caused by human activity, Curry said. People should work to ensure any fires are safely and completely extinguished when camping or otherwise outdoors, he said. An insufficiently extinguished fire can flare back up from coals hours after the fact and winds can carry embers from coals, sparking a blaze. 

“We’re calling on the public to be extra careful, extra cautious,” Curry said. 

Something as simple as cleaning up fuels on your personal property can reduce the risk of wildfire damaging your personal property, Curry said. 

More information on preparing your property for wildfires can be found from the National Fire Protection Association at firewise.org.

Two Idaho men are facing criminal charges after they were arrested for possession of illegal drugs at the gates to Dugway Proving Ground. 

Austin James Bruce, 23, and Miguel Joseph Chavez, 23, both of Burley, are each charged with second-degree felony possession with intent to distribute a Class C substance, two counts of third-degree felony possession, three counts of misdemeanor possession or use of a controlled substance, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. 

A Tooele County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to assist Dugway police with a stop that netted a large quantity of drugs on May 26 at approximately 8:30 a.m., according to a probable cause statement. 

When the deputy arrived, Dugway police said a green Ford Focus had pulled through the concrete barriers at the main gate before turning around and heading the wrong way to head back through the barriers, the statement said. A Dugway security guard ran out to stop the Focus. 

Bruce, who was driving the vehicle, gave a false identity, according to the probable cause statement. Once it was determined who Bruce was, a records check was performed and it was determined he did not have an active driver license. 

Dugway security noticed an odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle, the statement said. When a security guard drove the Focus under an awning due to heavy rain with Chavez’s permission, they saw a meth pipe in plain view in the car’s center console. 

A search of the vehicle by Dugway police and security turned up more than 118 grams of methamphetamine, small amounts of heroin and marijuana, and pill bottles with oxycontin and alprazolam, the statement said. Officers also found various items of drug paraphernalia, including a pill crusher, meth pipes, and hypodermic needles. There was also $150 in counterfeit bills. 

Chavez and Bruce were interviewed by police, with Bruce admitting some of the meth was his but having no knowledge of the counterfeit bills, the statement said. Chavez did not accept or deny responsibility of the drugs or paraphernalia. 

Both Chavez and Bruce made their initial appearances in 3rd District Court on Monday before Judge Matthew Bates. They were assigned bail of $25,000 and given court-appointed attorneys. 

Chavez and Bruce are scheduled to return to court for a scheduling conference on June 12 at 9 a.m. 

A Tooele man is facing felony charges after he allegedly pulled a knife on a man before taking his debit card. 

Justin Parker Mauldin, 28, is charged with first-degree felony aggravated robbery, third-degree felony aggravated assault and third-degree felony unlawful acquisition or possession of a financial transaction card. 

Tooele City police responded to a domestic violence call on April 29, where they spoke with two victims, a probable cause statement said. The victims said Mauldin was invited into the home because they knew him and he asked for a drink of water. 

Once inside the home, Mauldin punched one of the victims several times, beating him to the ground, the statement said. The second victim grabbed a chair, but Mauldin knocked it away before punching the man in the face and head several times and pulling a knife on him. 

Mauldin told the second victim if the man gave him his debit card and PIN number, he would let him go, the statement said. The second victim gave Mauldin his debit card and PIN number, and Mauldin left. 

Tooele City police made contact with Mauldin, who admitted to the incident as described by the victim, according to the probable cause statement. Mauldin also said he tried to use the debit card but it didn’t work. 

Mauldin made his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on Tuesday before Judge Matthew Bates. He was assigned a public defender but court records do not indicate when he is scheduled for his next court appearance.

Tooele County residents will now have the various resources of Tooele County Emergency Management at their fingertips through a new app. 

The new app, Tooele Ready, is a central hub for county residents looking for more information related to emergency preparedness, according to TCEM director Bucky Whitehouse. Tooele Ready is free and available through the Google Play store for Android or the App Store for Apple. 

The app contains copies of the county’s emergency management print publications, lists for specific emergency situations, and contact information for local first responders. It also links to Tooele Alerts, the county-wide alert system, and Tooele Responds, the county’s volunteer coordination system. 

In an emergency, one item most people will have with them a majority of the time is their phones, Whitehouse said. 

“Hard copy planning tools are great but the one thing, if a crisis occurs, people will have with them a majority of the time is their phones,” he said. 

The app also links to Tooele Traffic, a new website created in conjunction with UDOT, which focuses on traffic cameras, evacuation routes, traffic disruptions, and other relevant information to motorists. Tooele Ready also links to the National Weather Service in Salt Lake for relevant information on weather. 

With the free app, Whitehouse said TCEM is equipping residents with the information to be prepared in a crisis situation. 

“So it was very important for us to get them a tool to be able to use that we knew they were going to have with them when the emergency occurred,” Whitehouse said. 

Two developers were granted requests, one for a general plan amendment and the other a zoning change, by the Grantsville City Council during its meeting Wednesday evening. 

Bill Castagno requested a general plan amendment to change the zoning on a 42.7-acre parcel from a rural residential designation to a low-density residential designation at 4778 State Route 112. Castagno wanted to sell an existing home on a half-acre lot, but the current zoning only allows for one-acre lots at the smallest. 

Councilwoman Jewel Allen questioned replacing the existing rural residential property, with the larger lot sizes, for half-acre lots. She also cited comments by the planning commission that said it doesn’t fit with the existing future land use map. 

“I get the impression when you talk to residents that they like more of the open feel, as much as we can,” Allen said. “We have a chance here to make the decision to do that.”

Castagno argued there is a development to the east of the property that is zoned for high-density residential. Councilman Scott Stice said the half-acre lots are a pretty decent size and could work as a buffer between existing developments. 

“I think it’s a good transition between high density … and what’s currently on the west side,” Stice said. 

Councilman Tom Tripp said he would have preferred more time to consider the general plan amendment as the city updates its master plan. 

The council approved the general plan amendment in a 3-2 vote on a motion from Stice, with Allen and Tripp against. 

The City Council also approved a rezone of 8.7 acres of property at 124 State Route 112 to go from low density residential to a commercial development rezone for HHH Investment Group, LLC. 

Developer Scot Hazard said he requested the zoning change to put in a professional office building on the property, with a primary medical component. The property is adjacent to the commercial property that is the subject of a citizen referendum after part of the property was rezoned to high-density residential. 

Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall said the community needs more professional office space and medical space. The council unanimously approved the rezone, on a motion from Allen. 

Hazard also presented a concept plan for an approximately 20,000-square-foot building with eight office suites. Two other building pads are earmarked on the property for future development. 

A Salt Lake woman charged with felonies related to sex with an underage victim made her initial appearance in 3rd District Court on Monday.

Mary Madero, 26, is charged with five counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual activity with a minor. 

Tooele City police received a report that a 15-year-old female victim was having sexual intercourse with Madero on May 16, according to a probable cause statement. 

In interviews at the Tooele County Children’s Justice Center, the victim’s siblings described observing what they believed to be sex between Madero and the victim, the statement said. An approved search warrant of Madero’s cell phone turned up images of Madero and the victim kissing.

Jail phone calls between Madero and relatives of the victim were recorded, according to the probable cause statement, and the relatives asked if Madero had sex with the victim. In those calls, Madero inferred she had a relationship with the victim and knew what she was doing, and the consequences. 

On May 24, Madero was interviewed at the Salt Lake County Jail and admitted to a consensual sexual relationship with the 15-year-old victim for approximately two months, the probable cause statement said. She said all of the sexual contact occurred at the victim’s home in Tooele. 

During Madero’s initial court appearance on Monday, she was appointed a public defender and bail was set at $25,000. She is scheduled to return to 3rd District Court on June 26 at 9 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates.

Kevin Coulter had just filled up his diesel truck at the Maverik gas station in Stansbury Park and was heading southbound on state Route 36 on Saturday. Suddenly, the engine of his truck stopped running. 

Coulter, of Tooele, was approaching the Bates Canyon intersection and said his brakes felt stiff. He engaged the brakes on a trailer he was pulling and stopped the truck in the turn lane.

Coulter managed to get the truck started again and off the roadway at a residence in Erda. While checking out his vehicle, Coulter noticed the smell of unleaded gasoline and contacted Maverik. 

In a post shared around local community pages on social media, Maverik identified any diesel purchases between June 8 at 10 p.m. and June 9 at 4 p.m. may have been affected by the mix-up. The post said the industry recommended fix is to drain the fuel and replace it with the correct diesel fuel. 

When Coulter spoke with Maverik, he said they were cooperative and said they would tow his truck to a local repair shop. His truck has been stranded in Erda since Saturday. 

“They told me they would fix any problems I have with my truck,” Coulter said.

According to the Maverik post on Facebook, anyone who purchased diesel fuel in the identified time period needs to provide their name, home mailing address, phone number, and proof of purchase to have their claim for repairs processed. Maverik can be contacted at safety@maverik.com or call 1-800-789-4455. 

Tooele County Sheriff Lt. Ron Johnson said it’s unknown how many customers were affected by the fuel mix-up. While the sheriff’s office has been quoted in various media reports, Johnson also clarified that no criminal charges are expected as a result of the improper fuel.

A wildfire along state Route 196, north of Iosepa, burned nearly 1,000 acres of private and federal land Saturday, according to county fire officials. 

The fire is believed to have started around 3:30 p.m. and involved a total of 983 acres of federal Bureau of Land Management and private property, according to Tooele County Fire Warden Daniel Walton. As a result of the fire, SR-196, also known as Skull Valley Road, was closed, but reopened by 7:12 p.m., according to the Dugway Police Department. 

Crews and dozers from the BLM were involved in battling the blaze, in addition to North Tooele Fire District, Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department and Terra Fire Department, Walton said. The U.S. Air Force and Ely Helicopter crew also responded to the fire, with two single-engine air tankers fighting the fire. 

Tooele County Emergency Management, state Department of Natural Resources, Tooele County Sheriff’s Office and Utah Highway Patrol also assisted on the wildfire, according to Walton. 

A home was threatened by the fire but was not damaged due to a well-coordinated effort, Walton said. 

The fire was reported as fully contained by 9 p.m., according to Walton. The BLM is handling the investigation into the cause of the wildfire.

The jury trial for Rogelio Diaz Jr., charged in the 2011 death of Evelynne Derricott, was scheduled to begin next week.

Now, the trial is scheduled for a Sept. 24 start date, at the request of Diaz’s attorney, Edward Brass, during a final pretrial conference in 3rd District Court on Tuesday morning. Brass said the case was one where scientific evidence is crucial and the defense wasn’t quite prepared yet.

Diaz, 25, is charged with first-degree felony murder, first-degree felony aggravated burglary and second-degree felony theft. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during an appearance in 3rd District Court in November 2016.

A final pretrial conference is set for Sept. 11 at 9 a.m. before 3rd District Court Judge Matthew Bates.

Diaz’s trial was previously pushed back during a Dec. 19 pretrial conference, when it was scheduled to begin Jan. 17. 

Diaz was arrested in May 2016 in connection with the October 2011 murder of Tooele City resident Evelynne Derricott.

Tooele City police detectives received a break in the case when they used familial DNA testing, a technique that matches samples of DNA evidence from a crime scene to relatives in the state’s DNA identification system.

DNA samples found on a hammer, believed to be the murder weapon, and on the steering wheel of Derricott’s stolen car, were a near match to a member of Diaz’s family in the state’s DNA database.

Police were able to eliminate other family members who were already in the state DNA database or outside the country at the time of Derricott’s murder.

After narrowing in on Diaz, police obtained DNA samples from a used energy drink can and work gloves that he discarded. The DNA profile from the can and gloves matched the DNA found on the hammer and steering wheel and Diaz was arrested.

A second man has been arrested and charged in connection with a May 15 shooting in Middle Canyon. 

Manuel Mora-Hermosillo, 19, of Tooele, is charged with second-degree felony aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury and third-degree felony transaction of a firearm by a restricted person. 

Alejandro Sainz, 25, of Tooele, is charged with second-degree felony aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury and third-degree purchase, transfer, possession, or use of a firearm by a restricted person. 

Sainz and Mora-Hermosillo are cousins, according to a probable cause statement from the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office. 

Mora-Hermosillo was detained at the time of Sainz’s arrest on May 15 in South Salt Lake City and deputies located three 9mm rounds in his pant pocket, according to the probable cause statement. He told deputies he gave Sainz a ride from the Best Western in Tooele and at that time learned about the shooting. 

During the interview, Mora-Hermosillo gave deputies permission to search his phone and discovered Facebook messages between him and Sainz, the statement said. In messages exchanged prior to the shooting, Mora-Hermosillo and Sainz discussed a conflict with an unidentified person and 9mm handguns, including a Ruger and Smith & Wesson. 

On May 22, Tooele County Sheriff’s deputies interviewed Mora-Hermosillo again and he would not admit to knowing about a gun or where the gun used in the assault was, the statement said. He was then arrested by deputies. 

Deputies were dispatched to a shooting in Middle Canyon at 12:56 p.m. on May 15, according to the probable cause statement in Sainz’s case. 

The victim told police he was at an unspecified campground in the canyon when Sainz and two other men drove up, the statement said. There was an argument between the victim and the three men, which ended with Sainz shooting the victim in the buttocks. 

Following the shooting, the three men and victim all fled the scene, according to the probable cause statement. The victim crashed his vehicle into trees while fleeing at high speeds and then abandoned his disabled vehicle and continued on foot, according to Tooele Count Sheriff Paul Wimmer.

The Stansbury Park man charged with five felony charges connected to the rape of a child in 2012 will stand trial in September, following a scheduling conference in 3rd District Court on Tuesday. 

Jason Law, 28, is charged with three counts of first-degree felony sodomy of a child, one count of first-degree felony attempted rape of a child, and second-degree felony sex abuse of a child. Law pleaded not guilty to all charges during a January 2016 hearing. 

Law is scheduled for a pretrial conference on Aug. 21 at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Matthew Bates. The two-day trial is scheduled to begin on Sept. 6, also before Bates. 

The charges stem from a number of incidents during which Law provided baby-sitting. According to police reports, the abuse spanned several years and escalated from touching.

When Tooele County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to interview Law on Jan. 21, he fought with them and was arrested, according to a report.

The case was previously set for a one-day trial in March 2017, but the trial was struck and the case continued. A two-day jury trial was then schedule for Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, but was struck again. 

On March 13, a scheduling conference was continued after Law completed a psycho sexual evaluation but his counsel was still awaiting results, according to court records. 

During a competency hearing in September 2015, Law was deemed competent following an evaluation at the Utah State Hospital. At the same hearing, he posted $100,000 cash bail, of which $50,000 was refunded in December 2015.

For any residents keeping an eye out for the Stansbury Service Agency’s distinctive blue and orange lake mowers, they won’t be seen for at least the rest of the week. 

During the service agency board meeting Wednesday night, manager Gary Jensen said both lake mowers are out of commission. One mower needs a new pump and fuel lines and the other, which went down Tuesday night, will need significant welding repairs. 

Jensen said the second mower — the orange one — has large braces over the mower attachment that are welded to pontoons. The welds became fatigued and came loose, which will require them to be re-welded Friday. 

While Jensen did not directly address the cost for repairs, he did not make a financial request to the board for the repairs. The service agency board approves any purchases above $5,000.

The board also ratified the lease for two 72-inch grass mowers during Wednesday’s meeting. Jensen requested two three-year leases, at $330.27 per month per unit, during the board’s May 23 meeting. 

The service agency has spent hundreds of dollars for repairs on its current fleet of mowers in recent months, according to Jensen at the May 23 meeting. The total cost of the leases over the three-year term is $23,779. 

The service agency board also reviewed the possibility of accepting a .6 acre park from the Benson Mill Crossing homeowners’ association. The HOA is looking to deed the property at the intersection of Angell Way and Decker Drive to the service agency to maintain it. The park includes a playground structure and swing set.

Board member Mike Johnson said he wanted to ensure the subdivision is part of the service agency and check concerns about drainage before accepting the park. If the service agency agreed to take the park, it would still require a 67-percent vote by the HOA to deed the property over. 

Local firefighters battled a series of fires in the Ninigret and Peterson industrial depots Wednesday afternoon, and one of the fires is being investigated as suspicious. 

Two fires were sparked along Industrial Loop Road, about 200 yards apart, according to Tooele City Asst. Fire Chief Jed Colovich. The fire was reported at 2:48 p.m., and Colovich said the two separate fires merged together, burning an area of about 32 acres. 

The initial two fires were considered suspicious but it was determined they were likely caused by a grader ploughing out brake lanes in the area, Colovich said. Tooele City Fire Department, Tooele Army Depot Fire Department and Tooele County Fire Warden Daniel Walton responded to the fire. It took firefighters about an hour and a half to knock down the fire and complete mop-up work, Colovich said. 

Around 5 p.m., another fire was sparked on the east side of Garnet Street, which burned brush along an embankment. The fire is regarded as suspicious in nature and is being investigated by Walton and the Tooele City Police Department, Colovich said. 

The Garnet Street fire took approximately one hour from initial response through mop-up, according to Colovich. A total of seven brush trucks were used to combat the fires, including four from Tooele City Fire Department, two from Tooele Army Depot Fire Department and one from the county fire warden.

Firework sales begin on Sunday, and local firework restrictions are in place for this season — including expanded options where they can be used. 

Residents in the towns of Stockton, Rush Valley and Vernon will have the opportunity to shoot off fireworks within municipal boundaries, according to Tooele County Fire Warden Daniel Walton. In past years, all three towns completely banned fireworks but it was discovered banning fireworks within a municipality violated state law, Walton said. 

In Rush Valley, residents can use fireworks at the parking lot shared by Town Hall and the fire department. Stockton will permit fireworks in the parking lot north of the town’s ball field and Vernon designated the fire department parking lot for fireworks. 

Grantsville City has three designated areas for fireworks, including two parks in housing subdivisions. The main area permitted for fireworks is bordered by West Street to the west, Durfee Street to the south, Clark Street to the north and Matthews Lane to the east. 

Fireworks will also be allowed in the homeowners association parks in the Anderson Ranch and South Willow Estates subdivisions.  

In Tooele City, fireworks will be permitted in much of the downtown area. The borders for the firework approved area roughly follows 1000 West to the west and Droubay Road to the east.

The southern border of the firework area follows state Route 36, then Skyline Drive. The northern border is 2000 North west of SR-36, and approximately 1530 North until about 520 East, then to approximately 1480 North to Droubay Road. 

Maps for fireworks restrictions are available on the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office website, tooelecountysheriff.org, on the Fire Warden page. Wendover City has no restrictions on firework use within its municipal borders, according to Walton. 

In Tooele County, fireworks are prohibited on any federal and tribal land, including Bureau of Land Management, military and U.S. Forest Service property. 

State and private land, including all of unincorporated Tooele County, is not under firework restrictions at this point. Walton said Tooele, Salt Lake, Davis, Morgan and Utah counties must all agree to restrictions before they are put into place. Last year, restrictions for state and private land in unincorporated areas of Tooele County were put into place two weeks before July 4.

Walton said he would like to see firework restrictions in unincorporated Tooele County based upon vegetation moisture and predicted weather outlook. 

Even in areas approved for their use, Walton called on Tooele County residents to be careful when using fireworks. There were more than a dozen fires sparked county-wide on July 4 last year.

“We do our best to keep people safe, but we have limited resources for fire suppression,” Walton said. 

If anyone using fireworks causes or spreads a fire negligently, recklessly or intentionally, they are liable for the cost of fire suppression and any damages caused, according to state law. 

Firework sales begin on Sunday and run through July 25. Fireworks can be used from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 2 through July 5, and July 22 through July 25.

The hours fireworks can be discharged are extended to midnight on July 4 and July 24. 

Fireworks are also sold Dec. 29 to Dec. 31, and Chinese New Year’s Eve and two days prior. Fireworks can be set off on New Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year’s Eve from 11 a.m. until 1 a.m. the following day.

A Grantsville wrecking yard caught fire early Tuesday morning, destroying several cars, according to Grantsville City Fire Chief Rob Critchlow. 

Firefighters were dispatched to a fire in the area of 400 S. Center St. at 12:45 a.m., Critchlow said. A total of 15 firefighters from Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department and North Tooele Fire District responded to the fire.

Critchlow said as many as five vehicles were involved in the fire and those that caught fire were a total loss. There was no estimated cost for the vehicles destroyed by the fire as of press time Tuesday morning. The fire posed no threat to people or structures, Critchlow said. 

While equipment and firefighters were sent home around 3:30 a.m., some firefighters remained on scene to watch for hot spots, according to Critchlow. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the state Fire Marshal’s Office, Critchlow said.