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Show Visit us on the World Wide Web http:www.ecprosres3.com Emery County ZK EU BOLfr4M.D,J3lWr AIMS' 9MX. oiurwiasocriMmi s MxmtxOTssaMtHMMU, . tisr-mou soe tCkrSTj, INSIDE A routine traffic stop by a member of the Utah Highway Patrol on Jan. 8 led to the confiscation of more than 500 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $1.5 million. While patrolling a section of Interstate 70, approximately five miles east of Thompson, Trooper Steve Salas pulled over a motorhome for making improper lane changes. The driver of the vehicle and his wife, both from Compton, Calif., invited the trooper inside the vehicle. Upon entering the motorhome Salas reported he detected the strong odor of mari- - juana He also noted that the motorhomes rental agreement was not in the drivers name. I asked the driver where he was headed and when he had rented the motorhome. He was very evasive in answering the questions I asked him and was extremely ner- vous, Salas said. The trooper asked the driver if he had any guns or drugs in the vehicle and he reportedly said no and gave permission for the trooper to search the vehicle. Salas said he asked the drivers wife and two small children to exit the vehicle because of the strong odor inside and he walked to the back of the vehicle, where the odor became even stronger. Within minutes Salas said he was able to locate the drugs in the rear bedroom hidden in a hollow storage area under the bed. He also located in the vehicle a 380 semiautomatic handgun in the closet. There were a total of 80 wrapped packages of marijuana with a combined weight of 529 pounds. The two adults were taken into custody and booked into the Grand County jail for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The children were placed in state protec tive custody. Because of the amount of drugs found the couple will face second degree felony charges. If convicted they will receive an additional five years for the concealed weapon charge. The case is still under investigation," Salas said. The trooper reported that the driver gave him several aliases before giving him his true name. There were also things he said to indicate he has delivered drugs in this manner before, Salas said. (Information pro- vided by Betty Bailey, contributing writer.) Excellence Improvements planned for camping areas By JAMES Ferron Elementary advances toward goals 6A. L DAVIS Editor, Emery County Progress The U.S. Forest Service is looking to improve the camping areas around the MillNational ers Flat area of the Manti-LasForest, with an eye toward providing campers better facilities while at the same time protecting the forest land. A forest service spokesman said that there will be $300,000 available to address the Millers Flat area in 2002, which gives a window of opportunity for plans to be made which will address the concerns and desires of people who camp there. About a year from now the regional design team will want a detailed synopsis of what we want to see in that country, said Bill Broadbear, a recreation forester with the U.S. Forest Service. Broadbear addressed the plans for the area during a recent Emery County Public Lands Council meeting. He said the forest service is looking to the lands council for ideas on what Emery County citizens might want to see done in the area. The lands council has its pulse on the county, Broadbear said. Ideas to be considered are what kind of riding opportunities should be made for all terrain vehicle enthusiasts. One suggestion has been to make a kiddie loop, which would give young riders a place to ride close to camp sites. The loop would be a designated alternative to user created ATV trails, which are a problem in the area. The forest service is looking to close many of the user created trails and rehabilitate the area, designatingtrails for ATV riders and protecting the land. They are also looking to install toilet facilities and fire rings. Roads would be repaired and areas would be rehabilitated with the goal of backing campers away from the water. The plans for Millers Flat is a continuation of similar renovation and rehabilitation projects the forest service performed in Huntington Canyon over the past four years. During the earlier Huntington Canyon project the forest service was looking to provide enhanced camping facilities while addressing several problems they found there. We had a water quality problem in the qreek because of people camping on the edge of the water. We also had some safety al concerns with people coming onto the highway, so we closed and rehabilitated some of the areas, Broadbear said. With work not scheduled to begin on the area until 2002, Broadbear said it gives the county time to offer suggestions on what people want to see there. Weve had the design team on the ground and theyve looked the area over. They want to design something for us that we want to see, Broadbear said. Logging company looks to harvest trust lands forest By JAMES L DAVIS Editor, Emery County Progress A Colorado logging company is seeking a permit from the U.S. Forest Service to gain access to timber located on Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands embedded within the Manti-LasNational Forest near East Mountain. Intermountain Resources, LLC, from Montrose, Colo., was the successful bidder on a SITLA auction to sell the timber on its lands In the area. The timber harvest would be a selective cutting and Is reported to be necessary due to an Infestation of Spruce Bark Beetle, which it is estimated has at- tacked or killed 25 to 50 percent of the En- al ; , Continued on PAGE 2A. A Price of gas dropping, throughout the state 3A. BRIEFLY Census lawsuit on fast-trac- k to federal panel Just two days after filing a federal lawsuit to dispute U.S. Census results, the stale of Utah has won a first-rouvictory, expediting its case through two preliminary hearings directly to nd a e federal paneL The federal court hearing before a e panel is expected to be held in mid March. In the hearing; the state of Utah will argue that more than 10,000 Utahns livingoverseas were ignored in Utahs Census count, deprivingthe state of a fourth congressional seat. The agreement between the state . and the U.S. Census Bureau fast-- ; tracks the lawsuit past two prelimi-- 1 S naiy legal steps. The Census agreed not to contest the validity of the suit in preliminary hearings. Jhe Census bureau lawsuit was filed by Governor Mike Leavitt and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. They both expressed confidence as a result of the agreement. Shurtleff said the agreement bodes ' well for Utah. Essentially, the Cen- sus Bureau has agreed not to move ' forward with its formal reporting of census numbers until our case is heard, he said. I am pleased that we are moving swiftly toward justice. Governor Leavitt expressed confidence that the upcoming hearingwill clearly demonstrate the inequity of , the current count Common sense and constitutional rights call for all of Utahs citizens to be counted. Todays agreement guar- antees that we can move expediently toward arguing the merits of our case, he said. The next legal step will be the mid- March hearing. three-judg- : - three-judg- . ; ; . . For the benefit of . . : : ; ; Community rallies to assist young girl battling cancer By PATSY STODDARD Staff, Emery County Progress Misti Downard has been through a lot in her four short years. When Misti was three years old she was diagnosed with a brain tumor, we had no indication that she was sick other than she had the dry heaves and would get up at night and spend two to three hours in the bathroom, said Mistis father, Doug. The tumor was called a P.N.E.T. which was short for a big, long word describing the tumor. Misti went through 36 radiation treatments, which was the maximum amount that she could have, and six chemotherapy treatments he continued Mistis father said the tumor responded to the radiation and chemotherapy and dissolved. On Dec. 19 the Downard family went In for Mistis three month MRI checkup and doctors discov- ered cancer. Misti has approximately 50 Lions Club sponsors benefit dinner Feb. 9 The Huntington Lions Chib Is spon- soring a benefit dinner for Misti on Fteb. 9 from 9 pm at the Huntington Senior Citizen Center. There will be a raffle as well a3 baked goods for stile. All proceeds will go to the Downard Fbuffly to help with ODgoingmedical expenses. Cash donations can be made at Zions Bank In Huntington or Carbon Credit Union In Price. Those interested in donating baked goods, raffle items or sendees, can contact Eldon Holmes 5 at or Judy Lang at 5-- 687-923- 687-534- 9. Misti is currently undergoing chemo- - therapy treatment. We will take her back to Primary Childrens Hospital on Jan. 23 and 24 for MRIs to see if the chemotherapy is having any effect on the cancer, "Doug said. If the cancer is shrinking then she will receive massive dose chemotherapy treatments and will have a bone marrow transplant. If the cancer Isnt responding to chemotherapy the only option lies in experimental treatment. If Misti has the bone marrow transplant then she will be In the hospital for five weeks and will have to be within 30 minutes of the hospital for 100 days after she gets out of the hospital. At this point we arent sure what to do. There is only a 20-4- 0 percent chance of the bone marrow transplant working. Misti is in a lot of pain from the shots and she has to take 32 teaspoons of steroids every day. Misti is very weak and has trouble walking because there is a Continued on PAGE 2A. : UDOT meetings on State Route 10 In the Jan. 9 edition of the Emery County Progress the article on Utah Department of Transportation meetings on plans for State Route 10 con- tained an error. The date for the UDOT meeting In Hu ntington will be Feb. 12, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Huntington City Hall. Remaining dates for the UDOT meetings in other towns are: Jan. 30, 5 p.rii. to 7:30 p.m. In Castle Dale at the Museum of the San Rafael; Feb. 22, 5 p.m. to 7 :30 p.m. in Price at the City IlalL 7) |