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Show f SECTION FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008 METRO EDITOR Prosecutors Jeremy Duda DAILY from murder case aroseheraldextra.com 344-253- traffic-relate- d fatalities in the state last year, behind Salt Lake County's 50 and Weber County's ' est HERALD The number of traffic fatalities in Utah County decreased in 2007, according to a report by the Utah Department of Transportation. Twenty four people died in fatal wrecks in Utah County last year, a decrease from the 2006 total of 30, according to UDOT's 2007 fatal 25. UDOT -- , traffic-re- HERALD Jesus Manuel Holguin-Albo'- s murder trial will go forward with a new prosecutor after two deputy Utah County attorneys were disqualified from the case. Fourth District Judge Gary Stott on Thursday ordered that prosecutors Guy Probert and Randy Kennard be removed from the case because Probert could ' be called as a witness. Kennard was removed because he has worked closely with Probert on the case. Utah County Attorney Jeff Buhmansaida new prosecutor would be assigned by today. r is. spokesman A dan Car-rill-o said Utah County's numbers were consistent with trends across the state. UDOT's 2007 fatal crash report showed 285 traffic f atalities-i- n Utah in 2007. There were 287 in 2006 and 282 in 2005. The report cited the 2007 total as a decrease from the 373 fatalities the state saw in 2000. UDOT officials said the 2007 totals were encouraging, considering the fact that vehicle registration grew in Utah by 140,000 between crash report, which was released Thursday. There were just 20 lated fatalities in the county Jeremy Duda . Amie Rose Utah County fatal crashes down in '07 removed DAILY I in 2005. Ten of the county's traffic-relate- d deaths in 2007 were caused by the improper use of restraints such as lap belts, shoulder straps and child safety seats. The report listed improper use of restraints as the leading cause of traffic-relate- d fatalities in Utah last year, citing it in 114 of the state's 285 deaths in 2007. ' Utah County had the third high mm i:i ' ' 2004 and 2007. "The good news is that fewer people are dying on our roads," UDOT executive director John Njord said in a press release. "While 285 fatalities on our roads ASHLEY isn't See r - CRASHES, B5 FRANSCELLDaily Herald The car hit by a van resulting in a fatal accident was loaded on a trailer June 2007 near 1720 N. State St. in Provo. 1 5, Green Thinking ? Holguin-Alb- 29, was sched- o Holguin-Alb- uled to go to ' trial in his long- on case delayed Jan. 14, but the trial was canceled A after defense attorney Brook Sessions asked Stott to disqualify the entire Utah County Attorney's Office. The request came after Probert disclosed that a witness he had met with in preparation for the trial made statements to him which he believed could lead to his stand. being called to Sessions said he may call Probert as a witness at trial. Stott initially disqualified the entire county attorney's office from the case, but Buhman's office filed a motion to reconsider. Stott agreed that other deputy county attorneys could still serve as prosecutors without creating a conflict of interest. ... r! s See CASE, B5 Ore. gov. signs extradition order for Courtney THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Gov. Ted CORVALLIS, Ore. Kulongoski has signed an extradition order asking New Mexico to return a man accused of raping and killing a Brigham Young University student in Oregon. Joel P. Courtney, 41, was sentenced last month to 18 years in prison in a separate case in f'vv: Albuquerque. Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson said he wants Courtney back soon. A spokesman for Kulongoski said the governor's office sent the extradition order to New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. A spokesman for Richardson said the governor would expedite the process and does not intend to decline the extradition. "I am strongly encouraged by the level of cooperation between both governors' offices," Harold-sosaid Wednesday. ( - - ' i UVSC Professor of Philosophy Dr. David R. Keller speaks $ V - - - MARIO about the,expanding rialm of ethical consideration at Thursday's Sierra RUIZDaily Herald Forum. Forum aims at Utah Valley environment Organization encourages residents to appeal to councils on impact of city development Caleb Warnock more aware of the environmental consequences of the decisions they are making and not making." Utah Valley's only locally based Westwater said he has already environmental organization is taking written a letter for members to disaim at local crtids. tribute to local cities, but would like Forum members, over the next few The Utah Valley Sierra Forum asked its members on Thursday to months, to make presentations to volunteer to take a message, city by the respective councils in the cities where they live. city, across Utah Valley asking city councils to form environmental comIn an interview after the meeting, mittees to advise them on how their Westwater said the idea "grows out of a need." In his own community decisions affect the health of local of Spanish Fork, for example, there people, plants and animals. is no recycling and the city con"We need to make our elected officials more accountable," forum tinues to support coal-firepower president Jim Westwater told those plants, he said, noting he believes city officials want to do good work gathered. "We need to make them DAILY HERALD d but often are not versed in the environmental consequences of their actions. "Almost everything a city does has an environmental impact," he said. "We need to ask important-questionof ourselves, like how does this impact the ecosystem we are a part of? How does it affect our qual ity of lifer Westwater said he was not clear on how such advisory boards would fit into established municipal practices. When asked ifne was advocating for a new layer of government for example, a review after the planning commission but before city council consideration of community Westwater development projects said he was not sure how the advisory boards would or could function. "They would give environmental concern a voice," he said, noting the boards should meet regularly and poll residents for their opinions on local environmental issues. "It seems like an awful lot of government relates to development and how are we going to grow and become more prosperous," he said. "It's the economy and dollars that seem to be the main concern. I'm not an expert in the ways cities operate, but they don't adequately take into consideration the environmental impact of their decisions." Thursday's speaker at the Sierra Forum meeting was David Keller, an associate professor.of philosophy and director of the Center for the Study of Ethics at UVSC. Keller gave an overview of the . See SIERRA, B5 n Brooke Wilberger, a student at BYU in Provo, Utah, was cleaning lamp poles outside an apartment complex her sister managed in Corvallis when she vanished on May 24, 2004, leaving and a pail of behind her soapy water. Courtney has been charged with aggravated murder, kidnapping and rape. Wilberger's body was never found despite an extensive search by police and volunteers. Investigators and prosecutors have revealed little evidence linkpreing Courtney to Willx-rger'sumed death. A Benton County grand jury also indicted Courtney on charges of trying to kidnap, rape and kill two other women at about the flip-flo- s See COURTNEY, B5 Ainer. Fork meets about raising sales, properly taxes Caleb vyarnock depth in upcoming meetings. In both cases, the tax could be used to increase services or just replace American Fork residents may soon the money the city already spends on those services, which would allow weigh in on whether the city should increase taxri for the library, or for the city to spend more on roads, side, DAILynERALD recreation, arts and parks. Council members in a meeting on Thursday discussed raising the sales tax, excluding food and food ingredients, by a penny per $10 spent in order to raise $ 13.000 a year for arts and parks. In addition, the council discussed raising property taxes $12 a month for i 170,000 home to better fund the library. Council members agreed to discuss both potential tax increases in more 1 n, walks and other infrastructure. The sales tax increase would need to be on the November ballot, while the property tax increase would be a council vote after holding public hearings. "This is not a proposal, we are just saying there is such a thing and we are exploring the value of it and looking to see if the timing is good," said Mayor Hcber Thompson. "this could free up money in the general fund for other stuff we don't have money for, like sidewalks and emergencies," said Councilwoman Sherry Kramer. Because the increased taxes could replace, not supplement, what the city already spends, "it is not raising new money for arts and parks and so we would have no one to advocate for it," said Councilwoman leidi 1 city to save money for an arts center, finish existing parks, and acquire 100 acres south of the freeway for a recreation complex, said Councilman Shirl Lebaron. Asking for a tax increase is going to be difficult because residents have already approved an increase to pay for pressurized irrigation and the city has raised fees, even as the price of gasoline is rising, council members said. City staffers said that if the council is only willing to consider one tax increase, the library tax would be "That would be awfully hard to sell to the public," Thompson said. The city would need to think about using at least part of the new money to expand programs, council members said. preferable. American Fork now spends To get residential support, the council would have to show the public that the tax increase would allow the See TAXES, B5 |