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Show Single Copy 500 Vernal, Utah 84078 113th Year No. 32 117 J lJTAH t-'KKtttt ASiSOCl ATI ON Wedl i5;;i k 3900 h si..c, UT b4i4 ifjii , dvtvxv. j msfm0v'' Himigm f$mmm1't, WW mm, If f ffiF"""' . . ttI Q SECURITY 1 a i i rinP 1 Y, Jj J Preparing for the r. v hifiCTr I i I r i worst wupox t ' ( W 1 if M caii 8759 8557 i I f """'J a. I ' I 566 All Slight chance of a Scattered thunder- 566 All County tables request for tattoo parlor By Steven R. Wallis Express Editor Uintah County Commissioners will take a week to evaluate all sides of a request for a tattoo parlor in the Maeser area. June 28 Sandra Kump applied for a conditional use permit to allow her to provide tattoos to clients who would come to a converted crafts shop near her home. The body art establishment estab-lishment would be located on a private road at 2650 North 3250 West. The Kump's property is located locat-ed in a A-l zone which is primary pri-mary for agricultural purposes. Commercial businesses would have to be a conditional use in the zone. Last July the Uintah County Planning and Zoning Commission denied the request for the business because only the county commissioners can approve a conditional use permit. per-mit. Commissioner Dave Haslem, during Monday's public hearing on the appeal of the Planning and Zoning Commission's decision, deci-sion, said he had driven up to the proposed location of the business and "It is a good looking look-ing facility." Haslem said he objected to the business because it was located on a private lane and out of the area where businesses are permitted. per-mitted. He said the business could create traffic and parking problems on a rural road. Sandra Kump said the business busi-ness was in response to a big demand for body art. She said she would only allow two clients cli-ents a day by appointment only. Also she said she would not tattoo tat-too hands and faces nor juveniles juve-niles under 18. "We have found that people like their privacy and don't want people walking in on them," Kump said. "People want a private, clean, safe and sterile environment. Sandra's husband, Keith, said that the county ordinance allowed the commission to grant a variance so that the business can go in. He presented present-ed to the commission letters of recommendations from Vernal businessmen. Kump said he supports his wife in her business busi-ness and had invested $13,000 in constructing the shop, handicap access and furniture. As a commercial facility, the building "just doesn't cut it," said Brian Tucker, Uintah County planner. See Tatoo on A10 Downed By Virginia Harrington Express Writer A pair of Swainson's Hawks circled and screamed as the massive cottonwood tree that was their home was cut to the ground Aug. 2. The tree was located on a field owned by Sundance RV, directly direct-ly across Highway 40 from the Pepsi Plant on the west end of town. The RV company plans to move to the new location in approximately one year. A spokesman for Sundance RV said no one with the company com-pany was aware that the hawks were nesting in the tree and that if they had known, they would not have had the tree removed at this time. A professional tree service was hired to do the job. Nearby neighbors of the field said they asked the tree cutters cut-ters to turn off their chainsaws and stop cutting down the cottonwood. cot-tonwood. The unidentified neighbors said the cutting was stopped for a short time before i5 7'"' n Cliff jumpers enjoy an afternoon at Diving -accidents Lo)Clnn) to (u?pn) By Carissa Magee Express Writer While vacationing at Flaming Gorge many take to the beautiful beauti-ful red canyon walls to enjoy the excitement of cliff jumping into the waters of the massive lake. Although this is a popular popu-lar pastime, it is important to think before you jump. According to Daggett . County Sheriff Allen Campbell, it is illegal to jump from any cliff in Flaming Gorge that is higher than 10 feet. "We have a lot of accidents on the Gorge that involve some type of cliff jumping, jump-ing, diving or even just hiking on the cliffs, slipping and falling," fall-ing," said Campbell. "We really want to stress to people how cay odd yppeir A flash flood last Tuesday afternoon in the Dry Fork area littered some yards with debris, but no structures were damaged. dam-aged. At about 2:40 p.m. heavy rain and a lightning storm hit the Sawtooth Cove area of upper tree leaves protected birds homeless A cottonwood tree lays on the ground after a professional tree service hired by Sundance RV used chainsaws to cut it down. The tree cutters said they didn't know Swainson's Hawks were living in the tree and apologized for removing the tree. A spokesman for Sundance RV also denied knowing the protected birds had nested in the tree. being resumed. Denise Hughes, who does raptor rap-tor recovery for local agencies, said it is possible that fledgling fledg-ling hawks were still living in the nest and that the circling, screaming parents were looking look-ing for their babies. Hughes I i I -i 1 1 "V I'f 1- Flaming Gorge, unaware of the risks involved. dangerous this type of activity is. We just have too many accidents acci-dents every year." Last Thursday's cliff divers were no exception. The Cook family vacationing from Meridian, Idaho decided to stop about one mile north of Hideout Campground on Flaming Gorge to do some cliff jumping. Among the family members was a 14-year-old boy who jumped from a 30 foot cliff into the lake feet first. After the boy jumped in, his father then jumped and upon coming to the surface, noticed his son lying face down in the water. The boy's father then swam to him and got him out of the water and into the boat where he found no pulse and began CPR. irv Dry Fork. The rain lasted until about 4:15 p.m. and caused a flood on the Deep Creek side of Dry Fork. The flash flood overflowed over-flowed a ditch and continued past the Jones and Stewarts residences through the Sawtooth Cove Development also said the tree service staff were apologetic over the incident inci-dent Photographer Linda West took pictures of the adult birds as they circled overhead and even dove at the intruders in an attempt to drive them off. West said one of the adults ft vv i Another boat with a registered nurse and a paramedic from the Wasatch Front stopped to help and they continued to do CPR while traveling to Lucerne Marina. After the group arrived at Lucerne a doctor, who also happened to be vacationing in the Flaming Gorge area, helped with the revival attempts as well. When Daggett County Ambulance and EMTs arrived, the defibrillator was used and the boy's pulse returned. The 14-year-old was transferred by Lifeflight to Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City where he was later pronounced pro-nounced dead. An autopsy will most likely be performed to determine exact cause of death. and into Dry Fork. Residents in the area who had lived in Dry Fork for 8 years, said this was their first experience with a flash flood. For several moments there was eight inches of water rushing rush-ing to the Dry Fork Creek. Adult Swainson's hawk screeches as was their home. dove directly at her head as she walked through nearby grass looking for fledglings. Walt Donaldson, Tory Christophersen and Randy Scheetz of Division of Wildlife Services said an investigation into the incident is ongoing. There has not been a decision as to whether or not charges charg-es will be filed in the case. rasGi ran By Steven R. Wallis Express Editor Officials representing areas of Uintah County impacted by spring flooding gave their requests for public assistance to FEMA officials this month. Uintah County is one of eight counties and, the Ute Indian Tribe who qualified to receive federal assistance. "This is the first time in the history of Utah that a reservation reserva-tion has qualified for the assistance," assis-tance," said Jerrianne H. Kolby, County liaison for Federal Emergency Management Agency Agen-cy or FEMA. The Uintah and Ouray reservation res-ervation will be treated as if it were a single county despite covering parts of Uintah, Duchesne and Wasatch counties. coun-ties. "We are here to insure that counties and the tribe receive the compensation they deserve," said Jeannie Kovacs, FEMA tribal relations specialist. FEMA will provide 75 percent of the cost of repairing areas destroyed by floods from April 28 to June 26. At last Friday's kickoff meeting, Kolby said that Uintah County qualified for assistance by exceeding the amount of damage per population popula-tion threshold. To receive funding fund-ing each project must provide the documentation of what damages were done, what was spent to prevent damages and what will be spent in the future to resolve the problem. Three indictments returned against local contractor By Virginia Harrington Lxpress writer The U.S. Department of Justice, District of Utah, has returned three grand jury indictments against Gilman N. Mitchell of Altamont in Part 2 of the Uintah Special Service District (USSD) case. Three indictments in the case were issued last month against Kathryn Erickson, former for-mer manager of USSD. Mitchell is charged with three counts of corruptly influencing, obstructing and impeding the due administration of justice in a federal grand jury. The charges allege that in Jan. 1999, Mitchell it circles the sky above the tree that Donaldson said that although Swainson's Hawks are not on the endangered or the threatened threat-ened list, their numbers are low enough that they are a protected pro-tected species. As of press time, U.S. Fish and Wildlife had not been called in on the case but that remains a possibility as the investigation continues. Funds are released as soon as the documentation is provided pro-vided and reviewed. For small projects, it could take as long as 6 months. For larger project the process could be 18 months or longer. Eligible permanent work would include: Repair, restore or replace damaged facilities in accordance accor-dance with regulations. Restore to pre-disaster design, capacity and function in accordance with applicable codes and standards. The work must be required as a result of the disaster. May include cost effective hazard mitigation measures. Eligible direct costs would be salaries, wages and fringe benefits, materials, applicant owned equipment, contract costs incurred for eligible work, including engineeringdesign services. Applicants and FEMA representatives repre-sentatives will be meeting today in a kick-off and review of each project. "We will need someone in the field to show us each project," said Maynard Roose, FEMA public assistance coordinator. FEMA officials will meet with Uintah County in the morning and the Ute Tribe in the afternoon. after-noon. "Uintah County is an example to other counties in their documentation docu-mentation of damages," said Kolby, "You are on top of it and are doing well." "But you will be inundated with paperwork before this is over," she said. modified a contract dated April 17, 1998 between the Uintah Special Service District and Ned B. Mitchell Construction, Inc., "knowing and intending that the false document be presented to and relied upon by a federal grand jury in the District of Utah," according to a statement from the office of U.S. Attorney Paul M. Warner. Warner's statement also includes indictments against Mitchell alleging modification modifica-tion of a contract known as the Small Asphalt Paving Projects 1998 contract or the Small Paving Projects. These changes were made on April 12, 1999 and March 20, 2000. Records in the Eighth District Court in Vernal include an audit of the Special Services District in November, 2000. The audit revealed misuse of funds with money being paid to Ned B. Mitchell Construction, Inc. for one year on one contract and two years on another after their expiration dates. The audit is part of the public record and is available to anyone who would like to examine it at the Eighth District Court. The audit led to administrative administra-tive leave for Erickson based on the board's displeasure with her performance and to her eventual even-tual termination from USSD. Erickson has filed a wrongful termination suit against USSD and Uintah County. A summons will be issued for Mitchell to appear before a federal fed-eral magistrate. No date has yet been set for this appearance. If Mitchell is found guilty in a court of law, he faces a potential poten-tial penalty of up to 10 years per count against him. In the meantime, as with all defendants defen-dants charged in indictments, Mitchell is presumed innocent. 1 |