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Show TheEmeryCountyReview.com Spartan Power! Reality Town Junior high students given a jolt of reality in exercise that gives lesson on career, family, taxes and budgets A5 Emery decimates N. Sevier in first game of the season A6 REVIEW Emery County The Tuesday, December 2, 2008 Local News, Local Voice, Locally Owned Volume 2, Issue 49. End of the Road Search continues for hiker A Sticky Situation Rescue teams continue to search the Goblin Valley area for signs of a New Castle, Colo., woman who was reported missing from the Moab area on Nov. 16. Rose Backhaus, 54, was reported missing more than two weeks ago. Her car, a 2004 Ford Explorer, was found in Goblin Valley. Members of the Emery County Sheriff’s Posse Search and Rescue, Department of Public Safety helicopter with pilot Terry Mercer, Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue dogs, Parks and Recreation employees, the Department of Adult Probation and Parole and the sheriff’s office have been combing the area since Nov. 24 looking for any clues that would lead to the missing woman. According to the sheriff’s office the search area has been from Goblin Valley through the reef to the Muddy River. Backhaus is described as 5 foot, 2 inches tall, between 135-150 pounds. She wears glasses and was last seen wearing hiking pants and a lime green fleece jacket. It is believed that she arrived at Goblin Valley State Park on the morning of Nov. 16. The Emery County Sheriff’s Office is requesting that anyone who was in the area from the morning of Nov. 16 through Nov. 24 and might have seen Backhaus or have any information on where she may be, call 381-2404. Revenue shortfall brings upcoming road construction projects to screeching halt C. Josie Luke Many, including local contractors, were stunned by the announcement that the Utah Department of Transportation will put about 50 road projects on hold, including eight projects on Highways 6 and 10, in reaction to lower than anticipated state revenues. The projects include: U.S. 6 from milepost 274 to Woodside Junction, costing $1.5 million; U.S. 6 from milepost 274 to Woodside, $2 million; U.S. 6 from milepost 218.7 to Emma Park, $15 million; U.S. 6 from milepost 266.50 to 267.90, $6 million; S.R. 10, south of Emery to Muddy Creek Bridge, $12.5 million; S.R. 10, Quitchupah Hill Climbing Lane, $2.5 million; S.R. 10 from Horseshoe Dugway to Carbon county line, $15 million; and S.R. 10 from Ridge Road to South Price, $5 million. The projects that will be postponed are those funded through the state general fund, which has been affected by lower than expected sales and gas taxes, among other funding sources. But projects that are underway, have already been bid, or are funded through federal dollars are not expected to be affected. Bevan Wilson, who serves on the Utah Transportation Commission, explained that each year the Legislature bases the planned projects on projected revenues. UDOT then bonds for the funding to complete road projects, in effect borrowing to have the money to pay for them. Because these revenues have fallen well below projections, UDOT is hesitant to bond on any new projects, effectively putting a “freeze” on any further bonding. “This action allows us to make sure we take care of our existing obligations while we continue to work with the Governor’s office and our legislature in evaluating what the anticipated reduction in revenue will mean to future projects,” UDOT Executive Director John Njord said. The announcement came Nov. 20, and local contractors were understandably jarred by the Continued on Page A3. Photo by Kristi Renz Yvonne Jensen, with a little help from San Rafael Junior High students, finds herself stuck to the wall for a good cause. ‘Hanging Around’ Ready, Set, Shop! Zora and Mari Peacock take advantage of early morning bargains at Jones Ace Hardware in Castle Dale. With grim economic predictions about the holiday season, the traditional start of the shopping season on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, was met with equal measures of hope and fear by many local merchants. At Jones Ace Hardware, store owner Pat Jones opened the store two hours early for shoppers and said when he arrived at 7 a.m. there were at least 10 carloads of shoppers waiting for him to open the doors. By the time the store had been open for 10 minutes it was packed with people excited to find a good price for Christmas gifts. Despite a cartload, one man indicated that his purchases there were “just the tip of the iceberg.” When asked what he thought of all the people who had come to his sale, Jones chuckled, “I think they’re smart, they didn’t go to Price.” The sale began with a packed store; as time passed the congestion tapered off, but Jones Ace had consistent business through the day. James L. Davis one Sunday in November, they had over 65 visitors at the University of Utah Medical Center. “We appreciate everybody’s concern. There’s just no to say thank you enough for what we have experienced,” Adele stated. “People have been so awesome. We couldn’t have gotten through without every- Continued on Page A8. Continued on Page A3. T he students of San Rafael Junior High proved to be quite the pennypinchers over the past several weeks as they organized a penny drive to raise money to help the family of Tyrell Justice, who was injured in an automobile accident Nov. 1. San Rafael students raised $1,500 to help the Justice family and in return were given the unique opportunity to duct tape three of their teachers to the wall. Kelly Nelson, Yvonne Jensen and Kirk Robinson all offered, perhaps foolishly, to allow the students to tape them to the wall if they met their fund-raising goal, and the students answered the challenge. On Nov. 25 they had the chance to tape their teachers to the wall, and no amount of duct tape was spared in making sure the job was done well. Tyrell Justice’s recovery long, but progressing Tyrell Justice’s CaringBridge blog has had more than 2,450 hits since his mother, Adele, started it soon after he was critically injured in an automobile accident on Nov. 1. The concern shown by those who check the daily entries is only a small part of the support the family has received since news spread of Ty’s accident. Ty’s Father, Lane, reported that on Animal issue in Orangeville gets hairy The Orangeville City Council was chastised during its Nov. 13 meeting over its enforcement of the city animal ordinance by friends and neighbors of a resident who has more animals than allowed by the zoning ordinance. During the public comments portion of the meeting friends of Wendy Larsen voiced their support of Larsen and her animals. Larsen owns horses, goats, sheep and chickens, which she has kept on her property. She owns almost 10 acres, with a home that faces the city’s main street. The issue of Larsen’s animals first came before the city council during its Oct. 9 meeting. The city had received complaints that Larsen had too many animals on her property and upon investigation by the city animal control officer it was determined that she was out of compliance with the zoning ordinance. Larsen’s property resides within an R2-8000 residential zone and with almost 10 acres of land she qualifies for three animal units, the highest number of units available for that zone. An animal unit consists of two horses, two cows, seven sheep, four goats, 36 chickens, or a combination of the animals. San Rafael students and teachers get caught up in cause to help a local family Photo by Casey Wood 75 Cents |