The former Grantsville High football coach who pleaded guilty in June to unlawful sexual conduct and dealing in materials harmful to a minor will be sentenced on Aug. 20. 

Curtis Ware, 49, pleaded guilty to an amended misdemeanor count of unlawful sexual conduct with a 16 or 17-year-old and two misdemeanor counts of dealing in materials harmful to a minor on June 19. Ware will also be sentenced on Aug. 20 on a charge of third-degree felony tampering with a witness, which he pleaded guilty to on May 22. 

Charges of third-degree felony obstructing justice and third-degree felony criminal solicitation, as well as third-degree felony assault by a prisoner and misdemeanor written false statement, against Ware in separate cases, were all previously dismissed without prejudice. 

At the June 19 hearing, Ware was granted release from the Tooele County Detention Center under the stipulation he remain 1,000 feet from any high school and not have any contact with anyone under the age of 18, beside family members. 

Ware will also be required to apologize to the victim and community at sentencing. 

In the defendant’s statement, Ware admitted to improperly touching the victim under her clothing on one occasion and directing the victim to send semi-nude photos to him. 

Ware is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 20 at 4 p.m. before Third District Court Judge Matthew Bates. 

Grantsville City police arrested Ware in September 2016 after they were notified of alleged misconduct involving Ware and a juvenile female student, according to a probable cause statement. 

Ware was hired as an assistant football coach at Stansbury High School in September 2009 through December 2010. He was hired as an assistant football coach at GHS on August 2011 and transferred to the same position at SHS in April 2014.

Ware was hired as the GHS football head coach in February 2015 and was hired as a special education, long-term substitute teacher August 2015.

The Tooele City Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a vehicle involved in a lewdness case. 

The vehicle is a green sedan, as captured by a surveillance image, and Tooele City police are looking to identify the vehicle and its owner, according to the department’s open case information request online. The car appears to have after-market rims and there are possible dents on the rear driver side panel.

The Tooele City Police Department did not specify the act of lewdness. 

Anyone with information about the vehicle or its owner should contact the investigations division at 435-882-8900, Tooele County Dispatch at 435-882-5600 or text ‘TOOELETIP’ and a message to 274637 (CRIMES). 

The Tooele City Police Department posts information requests for open cases on its website, http://tooelecity.org/city-departments/police-department/open-cases/, and through its Facebook page, Tooele City Police Department.

A Tooele man is expected back in 3rd District Court next week on felony charges related to alleged sexual abuse that occurred in June. 

Nelson Humbert Gonzalez, 33, is charged with first-degree felony object rape of a child and second-degree felony sexual abuse of a child. 

On June 24, Tooele City police took a report of sexual abuse, according to a probable cause statement. The report stated the victim, who was younger than 15 years old, had been sexually abused by Gonzalez. 

The victim was interviewed at the Tooele County Children’s Justice Center two days later and said Gonzalez came into their room around 2 a.m., waking them up, the statement said. The victim said Gonzalez told them he couldn’t sleep and began to rub their back. 

The victim said Gonzalez then moved his hands from their back and touched the victim inappropriately under their clothing and penetrated the victim with his finger, the statement said. The victim also said there were two recent incidents where Gonzalez touched their behind, both over and under their clothing. 

The same day, Gonzalez was interviewed at the Tooele City Police Department, the probable cause statement said. He said that on June 24, he had returned home from a bar and went straight to the victim’s room to pull a prank on them. 

Gonzalez said he jumped on top of the victim’s bed to scare them and they woke up scared, so he apologized and gave them a hug, the statement said. He denied touching the victim in an inappropriate way. 

Gonzalez made his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on July 2, where he was appointed an attorney and bail was set at $30,000. He is scheduled to return to court for a scheduling conference on July 31 at 9 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates.

A Tooele man is facing criminal charges after he allegedly sexually abused a young child. 

Dennis J. Andreasen, 58, is charged with three counts of first-degree aggravated sexual abuse of a child and one count of second-degree felony sexual exploitation of a minor. 

Tooele City police were notified on July 14 that Andreasen had called the state Division of Child and Family Services to admit he had sexually abused a 6-year-old child, according to a probable cause statement. 

The victim in the crime was interviewed at the Tooele County Children’s Justice Center and disclosed that Andreasen touched them inappropriately and had the victim touch him sexually, the probable cause statement said. The victim also said Andreasen had them watch sexually explicit cartoon videos together. 

In an interview with police, Andreasen admitted to the incidents of abuse described by the victim and to them watching sexually explicit cartoons together, the statement said. He also admitted to recording video of the instances of abuse on his phone. 

Andreasen is scheduled to make his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on July 25 at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates.

Graffiti, which Tooele City police believe is connected to gang activity, appeared at four separate locations on Thursday morning. 

Graffiti was discovered the morning of July 19, first at the LDS church at 235 S. 200 East on the north and south side of the building, according to Tooele City Police Sgt. Jeremy Hansen. One set of graffiti read “KTP5” and featured a crown on the side of the building. 

The same marks, as well as graffiti referencing the Crips gang and the California Penal Code which defines homicide, were found at the snack shack at softball fields and pavilion near the Pratt Aquatic Center Thursday, Hansen said. Similar graffiti was found on vehicles at Tooele High School the same morning.

Hansen said investigators have not seen the KTP or KTP5 tag before, but believe it could be related to the Kearns Street Bloods, a branch of the Bloods gang based out of Kearns, Utah. The graffiti was spray painted in red, the color associated with Bloods gangs and their affiliates. 

Hansen said the graffiti was unusual because it was seen on both the west and east sides of town. Investigators have been in contact with the Tooele Drug and Gang Task Force about the vandalism and the department is following up on several leads. 

Anyone with information on the vandalism or who suspects gang activity in their area can contact the tip line for the Tooele Drug and Gang Task Force by phone at 435-579-3777 or by email at tip-a-cop@tooelecity.org.

North Tooele Fire District crews battled an early morning fire that damaged several outbuildings at a property on Pine Canyon Road Wednesday. 

Firefighters were dispatched to a fire at 1261 E. Pine Canyon Road at 2:38 a.m. and found a large blaze in several outbuildings on the property, according to NTFD. The outbuildings were sheds and lean-tos with metal roofs, NTFD spokesman Ryan Willden said. One of the outbuildings was storing a large volume of firewood. 

The vinyl siding on the garage adjacent to the residence was also damaged in the fire, according to NTFD. The total damage from the fire is estimated at $15,000, according to Willden. 

While firefighters battled the blaze, Pine Canyon Road was closed, Willden said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A Tooele man is facing felony charges after he led police on a short pursuit by car and on foot earlier this month. 

Jaren Nathanial Claunch, 24, is charged with third-degree felony failure to stop or respond at the command of police, as well as misdemeanor counts of failure to stop at command of law enforcement and operating a vehicle without insurance. 

Tooele City police were dispatched to Walmart on reports of a theft on July 11 at 7:10 p.m., according to a probable cause statement. The reporting party said individuals who had stolen from the store earlier in the day had returned to the store and fled in a green Subaru Forester toward Main Street. 

The responding officer attempted to stop the Forester, driven by Claunch, who did not pull over, the statement said. The officer activated his siren and Claunch continued to drive for approximately two blocks, before stopping his vehicle and fleeing eastbound on foot. 

The officer identified himself and attempted to get Claunch to stop, but he continued to run, the statement said. Other officers joined the pursuit and Claunch was restrained about two to three blocks from where he exited the vehicle. 

Following his detainment by police, Claunch was transported to the Tooele County Detention Center and booked on various charges including those filed in 3rd District Court. 

Claunch made his initial appearance in court on July 17 and his bail was set at $10,000 and appointed a public defender. He is scheduled to return to court for a scheduling conference on July 31 at 9 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates.

A Tooele man is facing felony charges after he was allegedly found in possession of drugs and stolen financial cards during a traffic stop. 

Suni Darren Mahmood, 26, is charged with third-degree felony possession or use of a controlled substance, third-degree felony unlawful acquisition, possession or transfer of a financial card, and misdemeanor counts of possession of another’s identity documents and use or possession of drug paraphernalia. 

Tooele City police made a traffic stop on a vehicle on 400 South after it failed to signal a turn at 10:40 p.m. on July 11, according to a probable cause statement. The officer made contact with the driver, identified as Mahmood, and let him know the reason for the stop. 

During the traffic stop, the officer spoke with Mahmood about an unrelated case in which he was a suspect, the probable cause statement said. While the interview was conducted, another officer observed a used syringe in the driver’s side door. 

In the ensuing search of the vehicle, more paraphernalia was located, along with a baggie containing a crystalline substance, the statement said. Under the driver’s seat, officers found a woman’s drivers license, personal transaction cards, and other membership cards. The woman’s name was run in local records and it was discovered she had reported her vehicle was burglarized the same day, and those items were listed as stolen. 

Mahmood was transported to the police department to be interviewed and was then taken to the Tooele County Detention Center, according to the probable cause statement. 

Mahmood made his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on July 17 and is scheduled to return to court for a scheduling conference on July 31 at 9 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates.

Grantsville City’s municipal code will be available through a new service, intended to increase accessibility to the public. 

During its July 18 meeting, the Grantsville City Council approved a 5-year agreement with Municode to provide online services for the city’s municipal code. The cost of the service is $1,500 per year. 

The service allows city staff to amend the code online and show proposed changes to the code, according to Municode representative Kimball Clark. A proposed change to the code can be input by the city attorney or city recorder, where it will be viewable to the public prior to approval, Clark said. 

“What you’re doing is you’re jumping into the software and you’re making proposals,” he said. 

Municode could show previous versions of city code and prior to adoption, it can show changes by underlining additions in green text, while showing removed sections of code in red with a strikethrough. 

The proposed document would be referenced by the city council at its meetings, and once approved, the city recorder would then send the document to Municode for upload. 

Grantsville City Code will also be searchable using keywords, according to Clark. The city’s code is currently available online as a PDF but cannot be searched.

“Not only is that a usability problem and an accessibility problem, it’s actually a problem with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance,” Clark said. 

Clark said Municode, which is based out of Florida, provides its service to more than 3,500 municipalities around the country and about a quarter of those in Utah. Clark’s former company, Municipal Code Online, was purchased by Municode. 

The Grantsville City Council approved the agreement and annual payment in a unanimous vote at the July 18 meeting.

A fire reported Thursday evening in Middle Canyon has grown to more than 40 acres and is threatening two structures as of early Friday morning.

Fire crews had no containment on the fire as of approximately 2 a.m. Friday, according to North Tooele Fire District spokesman Ryan Willden. The fire began within the canyon and was first reported by a UTV rider coming down Middle Canyon Road around 10 p.m. 

Canyon winds moved the blaze up and over a saddle, with the fire visible southeast of Skyline Drive in Tooele.

“It started on the Middle Canyon side and worked its way up over the saddle pretty quickly,” Willden said. 

The fire is threatening two residences in the area of Grimm Hill Road and Cassity Drive, and fire engines have been assigned to defend the structures, according to Willden. 

“The way things sit right now, we’ve got two residences that are evacuated,” Willden said.  “The canyon has been evacuated for all the campers up the canyon.” 

Evacuees are being directed to Sterling Elementary School, according to Tooele County Emergency Management.

Willden said there was no imminent threat to the homes early Friday morning but the homes are downhill of the fire. The winds affecting the fire have been strong and erratic, he said. 

“It’s just kind of been a back and forth thing with the winds,” Willden said. “Traditionally, this canyon gets 30 mph winds every night … and that was true tonight.” 

Fire crews from North Tooele Fire District, Tooele Army Depot Fire Department, Tooele City Fire Department, federal Bureau of Land Management, and state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands have all responded, according to Willden. Air support units have been requested and are expected to arrive in the morning, which Willden said should help considerably. 

For hand crews battling the fire, there have been challenges dealing with transporting hundreds of feet of heavy hose line and contending with thick vegetation, according to Willden. Tooele County bulldozers and other equipment are working to clear vegetation around roads and create additional fire lines. 

“It’s just really thick, heavy fuel, so it’s pretty tough to get in and get access,” Willden said. 

The cause of the fire has not been determined but Willden said NTFD responds to calls of unattended campfire three to four times a month and there were reports of fireworks in the area.

A fire reported Thursday evening in Middle Canyon has grown to between 150 and 200 acres as of midday Friday.

Fire crews had no containment on the fire as of approximately 12 p.m. Friday, according to state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands spokesman Leann Fox. The fire began within the canyon and was first reported by a UTV rider coming down Middle Canyon Road around 9 p.m. 

When fire crews arrived, the blaze was only about 2 to 3 acres, according to a Facebook post from North Tooele Fire District.  

Canyon winds moved the blaze up and over a saddle, with the fire visible southeast of Skyline Drive in Tooele City early Friday morning.

“It started on the Middle Canyon side and worked its way up over the saddle pretty quickly,” said North Tooele Fire District Spokesman Ryan Willden.

Command of the fire was turned over to the state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands around 11 a.m. Friday, according to a Facebook post from Utah Fire Info. 

The fire threatened two residences in the area of Grimm Hill Road and Cassity Drive, and fire engines were assigned to defend the structures, according to Willden. 

“The way things sit right now, we’ve got two residences that are evacuated,” Willden said.  “The canyon has been evacuated of all the campers up the canyon.” 

Evacuees are being directed to Sterling Elementary School, according to Tooele County Emergency Management. Middle Canyon Road is closed from Tooele City to Butterfield Pass. 

Willden said there was no imminent threat to the homes early Friday morning but the homes are downhill of the fire. Residents were allowed to return to their homes just after 3 a.m. 

The winds affecting the fire have been strong and erratic, Willden said. 

“It’s just kind of been a back and forth thing with the winds,” he said. “Traditionally, this canyon gets 30 mph winds every night … and that was true tonight.” 

Fire crews from North Tooele Fire District, Tooele Army Depot Fire Department, Tooele City Fire Department, federal Bureau of Land Management, and state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands have all responded, according to Willden. Air support units, including airplanes and helicopters, dropped retardant on the fire Friday morning after daylight, with additional units requested. 

Fox said a hotshot crew has also been dispatched, but there are minimal resources on the Middle Canyon Fire due to fire activity around the state and region. Hotshot crews are elite firefighter handcrews who specialize in wildland fires.   

For hand crews battling the fire, there have been challenges dealing with transporting hundreds of feet of heavy hose line and contending with thick vegetation, according to Willden. Tooele County bulldozers and other equipment are working to clear vegetation around roads and create additional fire lines. 

“It’s just really thick, heavy fuel, so it’s pretty tough to get in and get access,” Willden said. 

The cause of the fire has not been determined but Willden said NTFD responds to calls of unattended campfire three to four times a month in the canyon and there were reports of fireworks in the area.

Thick white and gray smoke was visible from around Tooele County as a fire in Middle Canyon continued to grow on Friday, burning approximately 200 acres by the afternoon. 

Despite the continued growth of the blaze, fire officials believe it is moving in the direction they want it to with resources on scene, according to Leann Fox, spokeswoman for the state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.

The fire is approximately 5-percent contained as of noon, according to Tooele County Emergency Management. The fire began within Middle Canyon and was first reported by a UTV rider coming down Middle Canyon Road around 9 p.m. 

Air support units, including three airplanes and two helicopters, dropped retardant and water on the fire throughout the day on Friday.  

Fox said a hotshot crew was dispatched to the fire, but there are minimal resources on the Middle Canyon Fire due to fire activity around the state and region. Hotshot crews are elite firefighter handcrews who specialize in wildland fires. 

“Resources will continue to trickle in the rest of the day as they become available,” Fox said. 

Command of the fire was turned over to the state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands around 11 a.m. Friday, according to a Facebook post from Utah Fire Info. The fire has been classified a Type 3 incident, which means it goes beyond a single day and requires additional management personnel. 

When fire crews arrived Thursday night, the blaze was only about 2 to 3 acres, according to a Facebook post from North Tooele Fire District. Canyon winds moved the blaze up and over a saddle, with the fire visible southeast of Skyline Drive in Tooele City early Friday morning.

“It started on the Middle Canyon side and worked its way up over the saddle pretty quickly,” said North Tooele Fire District Spokesman Ryan Willden.

The fire threatened two residences in the area of Grimm Hill Road and Cassity Drive, and fire engines were assigned to defend the structures, according to Willden. 

Willden said there was no imminent threat to the homes early Friday morning but the homes are downhill of the fire. Residents were allowed to return to their homes just after 3 a.m. and no evacuation orders were in place for residents Friday afternoon. 

Fire crews from North Tooele Fire District, Tooele Army Depot Fire Department, Tooele City Fire Department, federal Bureau of Land Management, and state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands have all responded, according to Willden. 

For hand crews battling the fire, there have been challenges dealing with transporting hundreds of feet of heavy hose line and contending with thick vegetation, according to Willden. Tooele County bulldozers and other equipment are working to clear vegetation around roads and create additional fire lines. 

“It’s just really thick, heavy fuel, so it’s pretty tough to get in and get access,” Willden said. 

The cause of the fire has not been determined but Willden said NTFD responds to calls of unattended campfire three to four times a month and there were reports of fireworks in the area.

Property taxes could be going up for Stockton residents in the coming year if an increase is approved at a town council meeting Aug. 9. 

The proposed tax hike is 38 percent and is expected to generate $29,601 in additional property tax revenue, according to Stockton Mayor Thomas Karjola. The tax rate would rise from .002687 to .003705 in the proposed increase. 

It’s the first increase in the property tax rate for Stockton residents since 2002, when the rate increased from .002394 to .003287, a hike of 37 percent. 

A residential property worth $106,600 would see its taxes increase from $144.82 to $217.22. A commercial property of the same value would see its taxes rise from $263.30 to $394.95. 

Karjola said the tax rate in the town has declined due to new growth and increased property value, but the town needs more funds for its daily operations. He cited past years where the property taxes were higher in the past than in the current year. 

“The cost of business is going up,” Karjola said. “We need to increase revenue.” 

During its June 20 meeting, the town council discussed its general fund budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, and in particular the disparity between the budget and actual spending. Minutes from the meeting show the council budgeted $323,186 for the general fund but spent about $382,463 in the previous year. 

During the same meeting, the town council suggested increasing taxes and covering the remaining deficit using funds invested through the state’s Public Treasurers’ Investment Fund or PTIF. As of today, the town has $221,550.70 in PTIF funds. 

Karjola said the town needs more revenue to be able to afford capital projects or repair roads, and training or benefits for employees. 

During a public hearing on the budget during the June 20 meeting, two residents spoke about the increase, according to meeting minutes.

There hasn’t been any action taken on looking to expand the town’s boundaries to capture more tax revenue, according to Karjola. He said the town’s planning and zoning commission has been working on an update to Stockton’s annexation policy. 

The Aug. 9 meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at Stockton Town Hall at 18 N. Johnson St. Following a public hearing, the town council can vote to adopt the tax increase.

Fire season in Tooele County is in full swing, with a number of blazes breaking out in the past week in addition to the Middle Canyon Fire. 

About 10 minutes before the fire Middle Canyon was reported, a brush fire was reported at milepost 42 on eastbound Interstate 80, according to Tooele County Fire Warden Daniel Walton. The blaze, dubbed the Clive Fire, burned .38 acres of federal Bureau of Land Management property. It was reported Thursday around 8:30 p.m. The fire was contained and controlled in about three hours by the Wendover Fire Department. The fire is believed to be human-caused and is still under investigation. 

An hour after initial reports of the Clive Fire, a grass fire was reported a half mile east of milepost 21 on state Route 196, according to Walton. The fire was caused by lightning and rain in the area helped contain the fire to 16.2 acres of private land. It took firefighters from the Dugway and Terra fire departments about 90 minutes to control the fire. 

At approximately 10:30 p.m. Thursday, a brush fire was reported south of Rush Valley that burned about .3 acres of private land, Walton said. The Rush Valley Fire Department contained the fire that night and BLM fire crews responded Friday morning, with the fire deemed controlled by 2 p.m. The fire was caused by lightning. 

A fire at 11:30 p.m. Thursday, also caused by lightning, burned 66.5 acres of BLM property near Whiterocks Road in Skull Valley, according to Walton. Firefighters from Terra and Dugway fire departments, as well as a BLM engine, responded to the fire. 

Four fires were started by lightning in the Cedar Mountains on July 26, north of Rydalch Pass, according to Walton. Due to a lack of resources, the fires went unattended for 36 hours. 

A team of eight smoke jumpers were dispatched to the blazes, but shortly after landing, their equipment was destroyed by fire and the team had to be evacuated from the mountains by a helicopter that had been assisting on the Middle Canyon Fire. 

None of the smoke jumpers were hurt and they are expected to return to work once they have been requipped, Walton said. With no structures threatened by the Cedar Mountain fire, it remains unstaffed, though the current command team at the Middle Canyon Fire could be transferred to the blaze by the end of the week. 

The Cedar Mountain fire was reported at 1000 acres with no containment on Saturday morning by Tooele County Emergency Management. 

There was also a fire at the top of Hickman Canyon in a U.S. Forest Service wilderness area that burned for two days, Walton said. The tenth acre fire, which was reported Saturday, is now completely out and was caused by lightning. 

A grass fire was also started Sunday near Lone Rock as a result of target shooting, according to Walton. The responsible party called 911 and remained on scene to stop the fire’s spread before a BLM engine could arrive. 

The Lone Rock fire burned .8 acres and was controlled within an hour, Walton said. It is the eighth human caused fire at Lone Rock this year.

After more than four days of battling a fire in Middle Canyon, firefighters have held the growth of the blaze in check and improved containment by Tuesday morning. 

A revised estimate on the scope of the fire has it pegged at 171 acres, according to Bruce Andersen, spokesman for the state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. By Tuesday morning, fire crews had 56-percent containment on the fire, up from 35 percent from the previous morning. 

Containment remains the focus for firefighters, who will also be on the lookout for spot fires, according to Andersen. A tenth-acre spot fire was stirred up outside the fire perimeter on Monday, which was quickly extinguished by ground crews and air support. 

There are 101 personnel assigned to the fire as of Tuesday, with resources including six engines, two hand crews, a hotshot crew and a helicopter, according to Andersen. 

In a Tuesday morning update, Andersen said there are still areas within the fire perimeter that are burning with visible smoke, but the signs of smoke should not be alarming. 

Middle Canyon Road remains closed from Tooele City to Butterfield Pass. Andersen said work crews have begun to chip up vegetation near the canyon road that was cut during firefighting operations.  

The Middle Canyon Fire has been deemed a human-caused fire and anyone with information on the cause of the fire should contact the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office at 435-882-5600. 

The fire was first reported by a UTV rider coming down Middle Canyon Road around 9 p.m. Thursday, according to North Tooele Fire District spokesman Ryan Willden. The fire quickly grew to 88 acres within hours and threatened two homes, sparking evacuations on Grimm Hill Road and Cassity Drive. 

Janet Vincent was among those forced to evacuate her home around 11:30 p.m. as the fire came over the saddle on the west side of the canyon. She said firefighters told her to leave her home, so she and her husband gathered their vehicles, trailers and important items before departing. 

“It was very scary,” Vincent said. “I’ve been through that before.” 

Vincent said she evacuated to her daughter’s home in Tooele City as the fire continued to encroach on family properties along Cassity Drive. She said her family gathered together and watched the fire throughout the night. 

On Friday morning, Vincent said a family member heard on the scanner that other evacuees were being allowed back on their properties, so she went back to her home around 5 a.m.

Vincent said she wasn’t sure if her home had been destroyed in the fire until she arrived at her property. The fire had come close to her garage but nothing was damaged. 

In the aftermath of the evacuation, Vincent said the support from the community has been great. She said she has received offers for food and other aid, and everyone she’s spoken with has been wonderful.

Vincent also thanked the fire crews and other first responders who saved her property and continue to battle the fire. 

“I have a whole different appreciation for our fire department,” she said. 

Fire crews from North Tooele Fire District, Tooele Army Depot Fire Department, Tooele City Fire Department, federal Bureau of Land Management, and state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands have all responded, according to Willden. During the peak of operations, there were three airplanes and two helicopters dropping retardant and water on the wildfire.

The Riverton man facing 20 felony charges after he allegedly raped an underage victim will stand trial in December. 

Travis J. Davis, 23, is charged with five counts of first-degree felony rape of a child, five counts of first-degree felony sodomy on a child, and 10 counts of second-degree felony sexual exploitation of a minor. 

During a scheduling conference Tuesday in 3rd District Court, Davis’s attorney, Mark Edwards, requested a continuance, according to court records. Prosecutor Wayne Freestone objected and Judge Matthew Bates ordered the continuance denied, and the case was set for a jury trial. 

A final pretrial conference is scheduled for Nov. 20 at 1:30 p.m. before Bates. The jury trial is scheduled to run for two days, beginning on Dec. 20 at 9 a.m. 

Grantsville City police were originally contacted in connection to the case in February 2017. The mother of the victim, who was younger than 15 years old, had found several notes sent between the victim and Davis that indicated there had been sexual abuse, according to a probable cause statement.

Officers spoke with the victim, who said something occurred between them and Davis but did not elaborate, the statement said.

Grantsville City police then met with Davis, who was read his rights and agreed to speak with investigators, according to the statement. When asked about the notes, Davis said he and the victim had sexual intercourse and oral sex on several different occasions.

A rezone of 128 acres was tabled and another developer withdrew a proposed general plan amendment during the Grantsville City Council meeting Wednesday night. 

The 128-acre rezone, located at approximately 750 S. Quirk St., would have changed the property from agricultural to residential use, with a minimum lot size of a half acre. An early concept plan called for a tentative 195 lots, but did not include two parks, which would need to be built for water retention. 

During its July 12 meeting, the Grantsville City Planning Commission recommended approval of the rezone based on the future land use map, but commissioners expressed concerns about the condition and narrow width of Hale and Quirk streets. 

At Wednesday’s meeting, the property’s developer, Scott Yermish, said Quirk and Hale streets would be widened in the footprint of the development and a traffic impact study would be done. 

During the public comment portion of the meeting, several residents expressed concerns with the Quirk Street rezone and large-scale development in general. 

Kerri Anderson said she purchased her home, which is adjacent to the Quirk Street property, due to its location among lots of an acre or more. 

“I specifically looked at what would potentially be there when I spent the money to build my home,” Anderson said. “This was not it.”

Anderson also expressed concerns about increased traffic from the proposed homes on Quirk and Hale streets, which already have a lot of school traffic on them. 

Resident Debbie Spilman said the city is growing fast and advised caution. 

“To grow a city, we have got to grow in a responsible, well-planned out procedure and we just need to have the master plan updated and completed,” Spilman said. 

Other residents mentioned road condition, water availability and school capacity as concerns with the proposed development. 

Grantsville City Councilman Tom Tripp said the property in question was previously owned by the Larry Miller family and their plans for the property went through various iterations. Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall said the Miller proposals for the property were controversial and they had requested a number of variances. 

With nearby agricultural land and large lots, Grantsville City Councilman Neil Critchlow questioned the development’s fit in that part of the city. Yermish said it’s possible the lots closest to existing properties may need to be larger due to elevation, as much as three-quarters of an acre. 

Grantsville City Councilwoman Krista Sparks brought up the city’s master plan, which is currently being redone, a process that could take nine months. 

“I hesitate right now on any zone changes because we’re in the middle of going through the master plan,” Sparks said. 

Tripp said the developers wouldn’t be able to rezone the property for two years if the council denied the proposal. He made a motion to table a decision on the proposed rezone until the end of the year while the city waits on the updated master plan. The motion to table the rezone was approved by a 4-0 vote, with Grantsville City Councilwoman Jewel Allen absent. 

A general plan amendment and rezone of 9.53 acres at 410 S. Center St. from low-density residential to medium-density residential was pulled by its developer during the meeting. Derek Ellis of Mountain Vista Development withdrew the requested changes to the property following public comment against the proposal.

The planning commission recommended denial of the general plan amendment during its July 12 meeting. 

“Given the comments here, I think we’ll just continue with the conforming use,” Ellis said. 

During the council reports portion of the meeting, Grantsville City Councilman Scott Stice commended residents for speaking up about the proposed rezone and general plan amendment during the public comment portion of the meeting. 

“You’ve seen today what happens when your voices are heard,” Stice said.

A proposed increase in water and sewer rates for Grantsville City was reviewed by the city council during a work meeting Wednesday night. 

The city council reviewed two options for an increase in water rates, which have remained the same since 1996. Residents currently pay $15 for the first 7,000 gallons of water usage, then 70 cents for each additional 1,000 gallons. 

Under the option recommended by the city council, the residential base rate would increase to $20.40. Customers would also pay for every 1,000 gallons used, on an increasing scale. 

The first 10,000 gallons used would be billed at 50 cents per 1,000 gallons, then the rate would increase to $1 per 1,000 gallons from 10,001 gallons to 30,000 gallons. 

For 30,001 to 50,000 gallons, the price per 1,000 gallons used would be $1.50 and the rate increases to $2 for every 1,000 gallons above 50,000 gallons used. 

A homeowner who uses 8,000 gallons per month would pay $15.70 under current water rates. Under the proposed water rates, the same homeowner would be on the hook for $24.40. 

The base rate for commercial users would be $32.89 and $57.83 for churches. The city’s schools would be charged a base rate of $94.21. The rate per 1,000 gallons would follow the same scale for all users. 

Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall said the higher base rates for commercial property, churches and schools are determined by the size of the water meter. 

“They had meters that didn’t register if it was just a low flow that went through,” Marshall said. “They now make a low flow meter so that if someone flushes a toilet or something like that, it registers. Where on some of the older meters, it would just slide through and it was never charged for that.” 

The state Division of Water Resources assisted the city’s finance department in calculating the proposed water rates. State law passed in 2016 requires the city to have an increasing water rate structure to encourage water conservation.  

The city’s sewer rate is also being reviewed for an increase, with a proposed increase of the monthly residential user fee from $25 to $28. Commercial users base fee could rise to $25 from $20, with the commercial usage fee rising 25 cents to $1.75. 

The city council also recommended an annual 2-percent increase to water and sewer rates to keep pace with inflation. The annual increase would be reviewed by the city council every year. 

The city’s Main Street water and sewer project, expected to cost as much as $8 million, is one reason for the water and sewer rate increases. Marshall said the loan secured by the city for the project requires it to have one year of debt payments — approximately $200,000 — set in reserve within the first six years of payments. 

Other possible capital projects in the future, including the replacement of aging and deteriorating water lines, would be funded by the increased revenue. A severely corroded piece of water pipe from a line off of Main Street was on display at Wednesday night’s meeting. 

Grantsville City Finance Director Sherrie Broadbent suggested beginning the new sewer rate in September but hold off raising water rates until next January. 

There will be a public hearing on the proposed sewer and water rate increases at the city council’s Aug. 15 meeting. The city council can vote on the proposed increase during the same meeting following the public hearing.

The human-caused fire in Middle Canyon continues to approach full containment as resources are released to other regional fires. 

As of Thursday morning, the fire was at 90-percent containment and remains at 171 acres burned, according to the state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. The incident command team has transitioned to other assignments as the Middle Canyon Fire has been downgraded from a Type 3 incident to a Type 4 incident. 

Fire crews remaining on the fire continued to work on containment and look for hot spots on Wednesday, according to the state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. Middle Canyon Road remains closed from Tooele City to Butterfield Pass. 

There were 81 personnel working on the fire as of Wednesday, with resources including six engines, a hand crew and a hotshot crew. In addition to state resources, the U.S. Forest Service, federal Bureau of Land Management and North Tooele Fire District were cooperating on firefighting efforts. 

While investigators have determined the fire is human caused, it remains under investigation. Anyone with information regarding the cause of the fire should contact the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office at 435-882-5600. 

The fire was first reported on July 26 around 9 p.m., according to North Tooele Fire District spokesman Ryan Willden. The fire quickly grew to 88 acres within hours and threatened two homes, prompting evacuations on Grimm Hill Road and Cassity Drive. 

A fire in the Cedar Mountains, which was sparked by lightning on July 26, has burned 1,780 acres and is reported at 20-percent containment, according to the state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. The fire began as four separate starts north of Rydalch Pass and was left unattended for its first 36 hours due to its remote location, according to Tooele County Fire Warden Daniel Walton. 

On Wednesday, a wildfire at Tooele Army Depot grew to about 200 acres before it was controlled, according to Tooele Army Depot Fire Department’s Facebook page. Walton assisted on the fire and fire crews monitored the fire overnight as a precaution.

Around Tooele County and the nation, law enforcement agencies are calling on residents to lock their doors, turn on outside lights and get to know their neighbors Tuesday evening.

It’s part of National Night Out, a nationwide event that raises crime prevention awareness and boosts relationships between police and the community. National Night Out, now in its 35th edition, is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch and co-sponsored by local law enforcement.

This year, Tooele County law enforcement agencies will come together with residents at the Dow James building at 438 W. 400 North this Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Tooele City Police Sgt. Jeremy Hansen said local police agencies and sponsors have been working to create a great community event.

“Crime affects all of us at some point, big or small, and this event showcases the resources available to combat local issues,” Hansen said.

The nationwide event also focuses on generating support for local anti-crime initiatives and letting criminals know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back, according to a news release from Tooele City police.

National Night Out Tooele, in a partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake – Tooele, won’t just be about safety education, but fun for the whole family, the release said. Activities will include a bounce house, prize drawings, games, and a BB gun shooting range.

Agencies involved in the event include the Tooele City Police Department, Grantsville City Police Department, Tooele County Sheriff’s Office and Dugway Police Department.

“We look forward to interacting with partnering agencies, citizens, and businesses in an effort to reduce crime in our neighborhoods,” Hansen said.