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Show & B2 The Salt Lake Tribune UTAH Sunday, January 14, 2001 ONLYIN UTAH “Thefirst thing I Starbucks.And _ later a place to buy a beer, and I thought, ‘It cannot be all that bad.’” about my knee.” —U.basketball coach Rick Majerus on leaving the team to care forhis ill mother — James Cove, London journalist cove! pre-Olympic test events in Utah FOR THE RECORD “There was rampant racism and elements ofwhite supremacy in the rhetoric againstthe [Martin Luther King] holiday effort.” “My leaving the team is not about my heart and not saw was a-. — Compiled by Tom Durkin “Missionariesare | “Breathe unique in some deeply! Get they are clearly an out, bring serving overseasfor in!” respects. . . . But i ee including LDS missionaries in Aman suspected of committing nearly a dozen armed robberies throughout Salt Lake County.in recent weeks is on the lam after Killer Faces Upto Life in Prison escaping ‘police and FBIofficials Friday. At around 10 p.m., police on surveillance near 500 N. Redwood Road in Salt Lake City spotted a vehicle that matched the description of one usedearlier in the day during two armed robberies; said Salt Lake Police Sgt. Jim Hill. An FBI agent fired shots at Nearly four years after her 16- year-old son was gunned down ina random act of gang violence, Wendy McDonaldfeels she finally wonjustice. “The judge did the right thing,” McDonaldsaid Friday, minutes af- after confronting him, said Bill Matthews, a ter d¢-year-old Pete Victor Montoya spokesman for the federal agency. suspect The was armed with a rifle that fit the description of one used in the robberies, mostly at small businesses andcoffee kiosks, since late December, police said. The suspectdid not return fire, but abandoned the gun and the dark blue coupe and fled on foot. After the man disappeared into a cluster of nearby apartmentbuildings, the police losthis trail. Police set up a two-block perimeter and continued the searchuntil atleast 5 a.m. The suspect is considered armed and dangerous. Heis a male, medium build, 5-feet-8, 18 to 20 years old with dark hair. He may have a mustache. Salt Lake City Police are asking anyone with informa- tion to call 799-3000. QO INDUSTRIAL FATALITY A West Valley City man was crushed to death in a wrecking victim was driving away from'a Salt Lake City convenience store. Montoyaalso was convicted of two counts of second-degree felony attempted murder for shooting at Seal’s younger brother, who was then 15, and wounding a second passenger, BY STEPHEN HUNT THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE suspect the Police composite Gangster’s actions elicit strong words from district judge went to prison for up to life for murdering Kelly Nicholas Seal. “It’s going to help, a lot,” McDonald said of Montoya’s sentence. “It's been a long 3'4 years.” In November, a 3rd District Court jury convicted Montoya of one count of first-degree felony murder for Seal’s slaying as the said, Seal and his passengers di everything they could not to a any trouble. “The tragedy is notjust that this was unprovoked and ruthless, we havetruly innocentvictims,” said Esqueda, The night of May17, 1997, Seal, his brother and their friend, Ulibarri, had stopped to make a phone Put Focus on Policy Issues Officials urged to prepare now for brewing controversies BY LORI BUTTARS THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Not every school board in Utah has had to deal with issues like gay clubs or prayer in school but they should start addressing them was working on the car whena bolt now, advisers say. cameloose on the winch, said West Valley City Police Lt. Charles Ills- ley. No foul play is suspected, police said. The accident occurred at Sandy Metal Works, 6580 W. 2100S. at around 11:30 am. Two coworkers discovered Metealf’s body shortly after the accident. Policymaking was amongthetopics featured whenthe Utah School Board Association held its 78th annual conference in Salt LakeCity this weekend. Notall of the policy changes are voluntary, said attorney Brinton Burbidge, who updated board members on precedent-setting lawsuits that weresettled in the past year. “Every schoolboard in thestate will need to Tip on Texas Escapees Sends Police Agencies In Utah Scrambling FILLMORE — Police agencies statewide went on alert Saturday nightafter a clerk in a gas station in Fillmore reported that at least three of seven Texas prison escap- ees — on the loose from a maximum security facility for about a month bought gas and phone cardsat the Paradise Inn Chevron. Suspecting nothingatfirst, the clerk said she called police at 6:30 p.m. — 30 minutes after shefirst Greg shown no remorse. In cee — ona tow truck winch detached and fell on him. Michael Metcalf, 53, yard Friday when a car suspended 19-year-old Ulibarri. A second suspectin the crime, 23-year-old Russell Frank Thornwall, also was charged with murder. He committed suicide last year during a standoffwith police. Prosecutor Carlos Esqueda called Montoya a “callous, ganghardened criminal” who has School Boards rethink their policy on prayer,” Burbic'e said, citing a Santa Fe, Texas, case regarding |. cayers before a football games. The Supreme Court ruled in June that student-led, student-initiated invocations prior to football games did not amount to private speech and were impermissively coercive. That doesn’t mean that teachers should avoid religion altogether in matters of curricu- lum,he added. “There's no reason to avoid Michelangelo's art or Handel’s ‘Messiah’ because they deal with over-blue van and apparently was able to identify Louisiana plates and providethe license numberof the vehicle the suspects drove away in. She said they asked directions to Cedar City before leaving. However, shortly after 9 p.m., Utah Highway Patrol troopers in Salt Lake County and deputies from several jurisdictions began pursuing an eastbound van onInterstate 80 that matched the description given earlier. The van had Illinois plates and the license number differed by one or two characters from the plate number ofthe fugitives’ vehicle, said UHP spokesman Doug McCleave. A large numberofpolice units apparently were able to surround the van and slow it down,finally stopping it just west of Mountain Dell reservoir in Parleys Canyon. The three menin the van,Illinois residents, had nothing to do with the earlier sighting, and were released. While the hunt was under way,officers restricted traffic in the canyon from the summit to the bottom. — Thomas Burr and Nesreen Khashan 4 y Residents of a West Valley City morning to pleas for help from a dying man whoshortly after becamethe city’s first homicidevictim ofthe year,police said. The victim, a Salt Lake City man in his late 20s or early 30s, died of multiple gunshot wounds. Police have identified the victim but are not releasing his name pending notification of kin. Hewas pronounced deadat 4:30 a.m. on the stoop of a homelocated on the 1500 West block of Sunset Avenue, where hecollapsed after being shotin thestreet, police said. the engine. Montoya, who had’been inside the store, got in the truck and the two gangsters followed the teens to thestreet. Thornwall and Montoya. were both yelling at the teens, thenfired shots. Kelly Seal was hit in the head; Ulibarri was ‘wounded inthe back. As Thornwall’sFigg wa away, Matt Seal saic someone yell: “VLT pared ae cutors say those are the initials ofa Salt Lake City street gang. BY LESLEY MITCHELL THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Wasatch Front junior high and high school teachers peppered two Utah County legislators Saturday with a wide range of gripes and concerns.It was the first meeting of a newinitiative designed to give faculty members a greater voice in the state Legislature. “We've never really had any direct. communication with legislators feure, so this is great,” said Susan Tucker, a specialeducation teacher at Timpanogos High Schoolin Orem.“I don’t think legislators are knowledgeable enough about education issues,so this has to help.” Classrooms First, which will consist of monthly town-hall style meetings between educators and legislators, was created by Utah County Reps. Matt Throckmorton, RSpringville, and Becky Lockhart, R-Provo. ‘Thetwolegislators have invited all Utah elementary, junior high and high school teachers to participate. About 20 educators partici,ated in the first meeting, held at Salt Lake Community College’s campus. a religious themes,” Burbidge said. “If it’s a recognized classical work,it falls within the standard for curriculum. But look for and be prepared to have a diverse experience featuring recognized works of cultures outside of Christianity.” Burbidge also pointed to April’s ruling in U.S. District Court reinstating a gay social studies club at East High School and an Ohio ruling regarding giving vouchers and tax credits to families who choose to homeschooltheir children as other examples of where other school boards should be thinking ahead. West Valley Shooting Leaves City With 1st Murder of Year cul-de-sac woke up early Saturday call ata convenience store at 965 N. BeckStreet in Salt LakeCity. Thornwall, who was pumping gas into his pickup, spotted the teens and began yelling taunts and threats that were laced with gang lingo, Matt Seal testified attrial. “We just ignored him,” said. But minutes later, as the three teens prepared fo keavs Ge oeine lot, Thornwall pulled his truck behind their car and began Police said the victim crawled to the home, pounded on the front door and begged for help before he died, The frightened residents did notzope the door,instead calling police, Police have no descriptionofthe suspects, whoare still at large. Police also do not know how many gunmen mayhavebeeninvolved. Witnesses told police that shortly after 4 a.m. they heard quarrelling at the end of the small dead-end street, followed by the crack of three gunfire shots. Three vehicles were seen fleeing the scene, police said. They are Woman Who Hid Slayer Loses Appeal “senseless, unnecessary, brutal it deserves the most extreme punishmentI can mete out.” He told Montoya: “You made eae ety awen it.” Defense attorney Robin Ljungberg claims Thornwall was the en ae bee re ee beoccu claim bullet trajectories and the position of Thornwall’s truck prove Montoya had to be the shooter. On advice from his attorney, Montoya declined to speak Friday. Ljungberg said he will file a request for a new trial based on recently discovered new evidence. declined to elaborate until he files the request in court. Legislators, Educators Meet to Discuss Concerns spotted them — when a customer remarked on their resemblance to the Texas fugitives. The clerk described a silver- Sallie Valleys in Utah PUBLIC SAFETY NEWS SUSPECT ESCAPES aoc — Gov. Mike Leavitt, on not on efforts to proclaim the hol the new air identifiable group — — Former Utah legislator Terry the old air The next meeting will be held Feb. 10. “We want to be able to ask teachers what works for them and what doesn’t,” Throckmorton said. “We don’t have the clout, experience or knowledge to save the word, but but we can work with teachers to try and fix and the size ofschool districts and schools. Throckmorton said he etesome of. the input he and Lockhart receive at the meetings to translate into legislation, either felony obstruction ofjustice. DeHart, who was Pinder’sgirlfriend, was released from the Duchesne County Jail after serving nearly nine months. Pinder, 43, was convicted last year of two counts of capital murand sentenced to life with the blew up their bodies to destroy evidence ofthe slayings. Pinder’s conviction also is on At issue in DeHart’s appeal was whether prosecutors could use incriminating statements she made before, during and after the crime ofobstructingjustice. On Thursday, the three-judge appellate panel first ruled that prosecutors are allowed to use es ins oe this year or next. Karen Roylance, who teaches English, drama andreading at T.H. Bell Junior High School in Washington Terrace near Ogden, acknowledged several education groups, such as the Utah Education Association, already ee the needs ofeducators known in the But aSa says anotheroe which links educators directly with legislators can’t hurt. “Teachers have been badly burned in the itare tn the et cS ENEe “These are issues lapping up on the shores of Utah,”he said. Kolene Granger, superintendent of Washington County SchoolDistrict, said that with the adventof the Internet, there is no reason for schools to putoffpolicy making. “We don’t haveto wait for the policy manual to be printed or anymore,” she said. sae discussions are notentertaining, but I promise you if you wait until an issue arises it suddenly makes it very entertaining for the press,the public and you won't be on top ofyour game,” driving Pinder in her sport-utility vehicle from a Salt Lake City tele- © had vision station where done an interview in the days following the murders. DeHart sat beside Pinder during the interview, according to the ruling. _ At trial, DeHart’s daughter, Me- Im Salt Lake City Police Investigate Shooting Death A Salt Lake City man suspected in an early shooting death is being held in the Salt Lake County Jail. The 22-year-old man is of shootinga 23-year-old victim in an apartinent at 1834 W. Independence Boulevard (1475 North). Theincident was reported to Salt Lake City police at around 2:15 a.m., said Sgt. Jim Hill. The victim's name has not been described as two dark colored sportuutility vehicles and one white Police do not have a motive for the shooting, but have ruled out reed pending notification the Sol Lake Tribune gen: erally does not release the identities ofsuspects until they are formally charged. Police have referred the case to the Salt Lake County District At's Office. ‘Theincident is still under investigation, and police have not determined amotive for the always . just like Bonnie and on the run,” Judge Judith M. Bill- ings wrote killing. that it was gang related. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call West Valley City police at 801-963-3255, — Nesreen Khashan Census Bureau Expedites Utah RecountSuit BY LORI BUTTARS THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE The U.S. Census Bureau has agreed to skip two preliminary hearings so that Utah’s lawsuit challenging the latest population count can be heard right away. The state filed a motion last week, arguing that more than 10,000 Utahns serving two-year missions for the LDS Church should be counted among its residents. On Friday, the Census Bureau agreed to put it before a 1 ' three-judge federal panel as early as March. Utah lost the 435th congressional seat to North Carolina by only 856 people. Gov. Mike Leavitt said the decision to expedite the process shows that Utah has a strong case for a recount. “It is inconceivable to me that they allow a countofcivilservants, who meet basically the same crite- ria as humanitarian and religious service providers, and treat them differently,” Leavitt said. hy Currentcensus rules allow military personnel who are serving overseas to be counted in their homestate, Missionaries are treated the same as college students and are counted by the state in which they are atte school or not counted at all ifthey are living overseas. ‘The move to pass over two ofthe legal phases preempts a hearing scheduled for next week before U.S. District Court Judge Dee Benson, who is a Utah native, i The winning numbers drawn Saturday night in Idaho's Powerball lottery worth $18,600 million were 14-19-23-20-42 POWERBALL: 26 The winning numbers in Idaho, Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska’s Wild Card lottery worth $373,000 were 5-6-7-11-16 WILD CARD:Ace of Spades For winning numbers and prizeamounts players ca eal he information . 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