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Show Local traffic stop yields drug bust A routine drug stop in San Juan County has resulted in the confiscation of nearly 500 pounds of marijuana and the forfeiture of nearly $2 million in assets held by drug dealers. Utah Highway Patrol trooper based in San Juan A the teeth on an enormous comb, the exposed rock of Comb Ridge stretches north toward the Abajo Mountains. Larry Wells photo Like THIS.WEEKt County Commission brief the Kentucky Drug Enforce- ment Agency, completed the delivery of the marijuana. There have been 12 arrests to date associated with the sting. The drugs were apparently delivered to a new home that had been recently purchased for $1.2 million and had a seven car garage full of new cars. Assets are routinely seized by law enforcement agencies, along with the drugs. County made a routine arrest of a vehicle last week and immediately recognized the smell of marijuana. A search of the vehicle showed 300 pounds of A Utah Highway Patrol marijuana in the back seat. The driver, on his way from spokesman said that the mariTucson to Kentucky, agreed to juana was apparently grown in do a controlled delivery of the Mexico and is distributed marijuana in Kentucky. As a throughout the United States. result, local law enforcement The official said that coordinated movement by a number of officials, working with the Federal Bbreau of Investigation and law enforcement agencies resulted in the arrests. - Terri Winder's life goes to the dogs by Jim Keyes Trichomoniasis is a devastating disease that has been effecting cattle herds in the Four Corners area for many years. Known as Trich" (trick), this affliction causes cattle to abort in the early stages of pregnancy. A herd infected with TVich could easily have only a fifty percent calving rate. This could mean they are removed from the herd. Bulls can be tested in the springtime before they are turned out for the breeding season. The bulls that test positive for Trich are sold and not used for reproducing. On May 24 at 7 p.m. in the San Juan County Courthouse, Dr. Michael Marshall, Director of Animal Health at the Utah Department of Agriculture, will be speaking about Trichomonia- sis. 'He will discuss methods of prevention, and the new laws that govern the movement and testing of cattle in an effort to control the disease. This program is sponsored by the San Juan Stockmens Association and USU Extension. The general public is invited. Resident organizes j Los Alamos relief effort - See page 10 I ! Local athletes at state golf, softball, and track tourneys - by A lawsuit filed by a group of one only a Momma could love - Seepage boy Sarah Elizabeth Terry & Pieter Haller May 6 j roofluPEB I : Monticello residents - Pete Steele, Joel Palmer, Julia Redd, and Bob Low, against the City of Monticello, has stopped the purchase of the electrical system. City officials estimate that employees and elected officials have donated nearly one thousand hours of work on the project since the purchase evaluation began. With $51,000 already spent on the purchase project, the lawsuit will now add additional dollars in legal fees and time spent to the city cause. A temporary restraining order against the city was the objective of a May 15 (Monday morning) hearing, scheduled to be held one hour before the sale would be finalized. Before the motion for a restraining order could be heard, however, the city agreed to delay the sale. With the approval of Empire Electric, the City has added an extension to the purchase date for an indefinite period of time. A restraining order was not necessary because the simple threat of litigation stopped the - - project. The Monticello residents are represented by Snow, Christen- sen and Martineau, a Salt Lake d law firm. Mike Carlston, the lead attorney on the case, was not available for City-base- comment, however another attorney in the firm said thit the suit was brought to them a month ago by the citizen group. The attorney says that while it may seem that the timing of the suit was delayed until the last moment for dramatic effect, that was not the intent. Other lawyers at the same firm also represent Empire Electric Association, as well as the Utah Rural Electric Association. Empire Electric says that there is no cross over of attorneys in the office, but Mike Carlston was present in Monticello for one of the negotiation meetings for the purchase of the system. The lawsuit is being funded, up to $8,000, by the National Rural Utility Co-o- p Finance Corporations Integrity Fund. The fund is financed by the rural The funding arrangement is similar to capitol credits returned to p members of Empire Electric at the end of each year. When questioned, Neal Stevens of Empire Electric said he did not know of the source of the funds to pay for the lawsuit. The Utah Rural Electric p Board approved the application to the lending institution for the citizens. The board of nine members has a representative from Empire Electric. Michael Peterson, CEO of said Utah Rural Electric that the intent of the complaint against the city is to allow the citizens a vote on the purchase of the system and to protect the integrity of the p and its co-op- s. co-o- Co-o- Co-o- p, co-o- right to provide power in Monticello. The attorneys say that the suit also seeks information for citizens as to how the system is being financed, questions whether the city followed the legal public process for the purchase, and questions if citizens were allowed to be a part of the decision-makin- g decision making meetings behind closed doors. The city was scheduled to sign the purchase agreement with Empire Electric at a May 10 council meeting. However, that was delayed because of a disagreement over $58,000 in expenses being sought by Empire Electric. Of the $58,000 in additional costs, $26,165.80 was for labor costs incurred during the sale process, and $32,148.75 were for professional and legal fees. The council held fast that the request was far beyond any normal closing practice, and there was never an agreement that the city would pay these costs. The council maintained that this point is nonnegotiable (please turn to page 2) j Monticello Blanding May Hi Lo Pr Hi Lo Pr 67 42 .49 69 48 .21 8 76 41 69 36 9 85 49 10 78 48 12 13 14 76 48 51 25 64 27 68 32 70 43 60 67 32 46 77 43 Wind gusts of up to 58 j process. Attorneys for the group say that there is evidence the city hasnt complied with proper procedure for notice of how they will finance the project under the Utah Municiple Bond Act. The suit also alleges that the city is in violation of the Utah Public Meeting Acts by holding 16 1 uiiajua I a hold on electric system purchase city from pursuing financing for the project. As long as the city faces litigation, or threatened litigation, they are unable to receive a short term loan on the See page 14 Cave Man: Some- II Lawsuit puts Anna Adair Nutshell, pg 7 - Life in Dangerous cattle disease in the Four Corners area the end of a cattle raising operation. A bull contracts Trich when breeding an infected cow. As the bull services other cows in the herd, he passes the organisms on, thereby contaminating the entire herd. Affected cows show up as open, or nonpregnant, when they are tested in the fall. At this point, See page 2 miles per hour were reported in Monticello on May 10 and up to 50 M.P.H. on May 11. j INDEW NEWS ROUNDUP. 2 UTTERS 6 8 S(X)IE1Y SPORTS 14 COMMUNITY NWS I.EGAL5 REAI. ESI ATE CLASSIFIEDS 16 21 20 21 San Juan Record takes A OER IRAGE, WATER USE See page 5 |