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Show Vernal Express Wednesday, July 23, 2008 A3 Judge denies McCairns' reques By Geoff Lcsik Uintah Basin News Service An Idaho judge has denied a request for leniency from Kason McCairns, the former Roosevelt man who is serving up to nine years in prison for abusing his infant son. McCairns had asked Judge Brent Moss to reduce his sentence to six months and allow him to serve any remaining time in the Madison County Jail. Moss denied that request last Monday. In March, Moss ordered McCairns, Mc-Cairns, 24, to serve two to hine years behind bars for abusing his 8-week-old son in October 2007. The sentence was handed down after emotional testimony from McCairns' ex-wife and members of her family. McCairns' attorney had argued that his client deserved leniency in part because he "has never acted out in this manner to anyone else." But McCairns' former mother-in-law, Bette Haskin, disputed the attorney's claim in a written statement to Moss, asserting that she had been contacted by Roosevelt residents with tales of "horrifying violations viola-tions (McCairns) has inflicted on others." McCairns' mother, Shirlene McCairns, challenged Haskin's claims of past violence by her son. "That is just ridiculous," Shirlene McCairns said in a telephone tele-phone interview last week. "We don't understand the mother-in-law. We are saddened by her behavior." She added that her son's request re-quest for a reduced sentence was not intended to let him escape punishment for his crime, but Myton man faces charges of sexual abuse of 4 children By Geoff Lesik Uintah Basin News Service A Myton man made his initial court appearance Thursday on charges that he sexually abused four girls at his home during the past year. Clifford Bradley Murphy, 52, is charged with seven counts of sexual abuse of a child and five counts of forcible sexual abuse, all first-degree felonies, and class A misdemeanor lewdness involving involv-ing a child. Murphy was arrested last Tuesday by Duchesne County sheriffs detective Wade Butter-field Butter-field after he was interviewed and corroborated statements made to Butterfield by Murphy's alleged victims. The girls range in age from 7 to 11. In a probable case statement, Butterfield said one of the girl's mothers contacted authorities after her daughter reported the alleged abuse. The detective said that as he began interviewing the first girl he learned of other potential abuse victims. All of the girls told Butterfield Butter-field that Murphy fondled them underneath their clothing while they were at his house. One of the girls also.told the detective .that Murphy had touched her inappropriately inap-propriately while she was alone with him in his vehicle. Murphy is accused of exposing himself to one of the girls as well. Butterfield said that during an interview last Monday, Murphy told him that he may have touched the girls genitals because "they romp around and play rough." "He maintained that if he did touch them it was an accident," Butterfield said. When the detective re-interviewed Murphy the following day, he said Murphy admitted to fondling the 9-year-old girl as they watched cartoons. "(Murphy) explained that he never made (the 9-year-old) do anything that he hadn't asked her if it was alright to do," Butterfield Butter-field wrote, adding that Murphy "expressed his sorrow and hoped out loud that (the girl) and the others would forgive him." Butterfield said Friday that he expects to file additional charges against Murphy based on his alleged al-leged conduct with a fifth girl. Murphy remains in the Duchesne Duch-esne County Jail. His next court date has not yet been scheduled. He faces mandatory prison sentences sen-tences on each of the first-degree I, felonies,, if convicted,,, ,, ,;,',', meant to allow him to pursue treatment that was not available to him during his confinement. "He is so humbled; he is so sad that he made the choices he made," Shirlene McCairns said. "He wants to fix it. He wants to find professionals out there that can help him get through this and figure out what is actually wrong and why he gets to feeling like he does." According to court records, Kason McCairns fractured his son's skull by dropping him on the floor several times. He also squeezed the infant until he fractured his ribs. Shirlene McCairns said she is not seeking to minimize the abuse, but her son was under enormous pressure at the time he hurt her grandson. He was a new father, a full-time student at Brigham Young University-Idaho, University-Idaho, and a member of the bishopric bish-opric in his LDS ward, all while working two full-time and one part-time job. Heather Haskin, McCairns' ex-wife and the baby's mother, said she had no idea her son - now 1 1 months old - was being abused. She said McCairns first told her he tripped while holding the baby or that the infant baby fell out of bed, but later admitted to her and to police that he had abused the boy. "He believes that he has changed," Haskin told Moss about her ex-husband. "I believe he has even deceived himself to a degree." V.. 'J i A it -t'i , " , . ' -7$' '- ) c " - - ' " "J JL. A demolished tractor-trailer truck lies at the bottom of an embankment in Indian Canyon on Saturday. The driver fell asleep, the Utah Highway Patrol said. Violent rollover on U.S. 191 leaves man with broken back By Geoff Lesik Uintah Basin News Service A Neola man sustained a broken back after Utah Highway Patrol troopers say he fell asleep at the wheel in Indian Canyon on Saturday. Trooper Rex Olsen said Adam Police locate missing Vernal man in SLC By Geoff Liesik and Pat Reavy Uintah Basin News Service A mildly-autistic Vernal man missing since last Tuesday was found in downtown Salt Lake City Friday afternoon. Uintah County sheriffs deputy dep-uty Troy Slaugh said Brandon Johns, 19, got into a disagreement disagree-ment with his sister last Tuesday night and left his home riding a blue, silver, and yellow mountain bike. Johns was spotted by his LDS bishop several hours later on U.S. Highway 40 in Myton. Slaugh said the bishop tried to talk Johns into returning home with him, but Johns refused. On Wednesday, Johns used his ATM card to withdrawal money from at least two different locations loca-tions in Salt Lake City. A possible sighting of Johns in Sandy on Thursday night proved to be false. Salt Lake City Police detective Jeff Bedard said investigators were able to use that lead to track down the man in question at an undisclosed address in Salt Lake County. But Salt Lake County Sheriffs Lt. Paul Jaroscak said it turned out not to be Johns. Johns was spotted by a security secu-rity guar d on Friday at the Social Security Administration office in Salt Lake City. The guard contacted police, who reunited Johns with his family. Duncan was driving an RNI water truck north on state Road 191 at about 2:50 p.m. when he dozed off. Olsen said Duncan was awakened as he left the roadway and tried to maintain control of the vehicle, but couldn't. "The semi left the east side of the roadway and rolled one-and-a-half times down a steep embankment approximately 30 feet," said Olsen, who responded to the crash with troopers Matt Pratt and Randy Allred. "The cab of the semi was shredded ... due to the force of the crash." Duncan was seven miles south of Duchesne hauling disposal water wa-ter at the time of the crash. The Duchesne City Fire Department was called in to contain the water leaking from the truck's trailer and motor oil leaking from its engine. RNI employees also responded to the scene to remove the truck and trailer. Traffic in the canyon was shut down or limited to one lane for about eight hours. ' Olsen said a commercial vehicle ve-hicle inspection was performed following the crash, but did not indicate whether any problems were found. Duncan, who was wearing a seatbelt, was taken by ambulance to Uintah Basin Medical Center. Olsen said he suffered a broken back in the crash. Driver License Division announces closures The state Driver License Division Divi-sion of fice in Vernal will be closed for remodeling Aug. 4-5. During the closure, the Roosevelt office will be open to accommodate drivers needing to take care of any of their licensing needs. The DLD will resume the nor mal operating hours on Aug. 11 of Monday and Tuesday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Vernal, and Wednesday and Thursday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Roosevelt. Both offices will be closed on Fridays, beginning Aug. 4, as part of the state's new four-day workweek program. NOTICE OF PROPOSED TAX INCREASE Daggett County Daggett County is proposing to increase its property tax revenue. If the proposed budget is approved, this would be an increase of 45.02 above the Daggett County property tax budgeted revenue for the prior year. The Daggett County tax on a 150,000.00 residence would increase from $ 309.79 to $ 359.78 , which is $50.00 per year. The Daggett County tax on a 150,000.00 business would increase from $ 563.25 to $ 654.15 , which is $90.90 per year. Daggett County property tax revenue from new growth and other sources will increase from $ 662,982 to $961,445. All concerned citizens are invited to a public hearing on the tax increase. PUBLIC HEARING Wednesday, August 6, 2008; 6:00 p.m. Daggett County Courthouse 95N100W Manila, UT 84046 DateTime: Location: To obtain more information regarding the tax increase, citizens may contact Daggett County at 435-784-3210 ext. 405. NOTICE OF PROPOSED TAX INCREASE Uintah Water Conservancy District The Uintah Water Conservancy District is proposing to increase its property tax revenue. If the proposed budget is approved, this would be an increase of 62.89 above the Uintah Water Conservancy District property tax budgeted revenue for the prior year. The Uintah Water Conservancy District tax on a $188,200 residence would increase from $31.47 to $41.40, which is $9.93 per year. The Uintah Water Conservancy District tax on a $ 1 88,200 business would increase from $57.21 to $75.28, which is $18.07 per year. Uintah Water Conservancy District property tax revenue from new growth and other sources will increase from $981,530 to $1,598,825. All concerned citizens are invited to a public hearing on the tax increase. DateTime: Location: PUBLIC HEARING August 12, 2008,6:00 p.m. Uintah Water Conservancy District, 78 W 3325 N, Vernal, Utah To obtain more information regarding the tax increase, citizens may contact Uintah Water Conservancy District, at 435-789-1651. |