| Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Wednesday January 5 1994 Page3 Idaho readies for scheduled Wells execution Fatal accident still under Investigation No citations have been issued yet in an accident that claimed the life of a Preston man on Tuesday Gary Bell 3553 S 400 West Preston was killed Tuesday BOISE Idaho (AP) — A federal judge today refused to stay tonight’s scheduled execution of old confessed double murderer Keith Eugene Wells The order by US District Judge Edward Lodge came just hours before Wells was to visit with his wife for the last time Lodge acting on a petition filed by die one-tiappellate attorney morning when the pickup truck he was driving collided with a larger truck that had run a stop sign according to a Utah Highway Patrol news release me According to the news release the driver of the other truck Corbin Christensen 21 748 E 3430 for Wells said the claim that Wells was not mentally competent to drop all his appeals last June and demand to be executed had been known for months and could not be legitimately raised "before the eleventh hour of the scheduled South Millville was traveling east on 11600 North and did not see the stop sign (hie to heavy fog Bell’s vehicle which was traveling south on US 91 execution” Rolf Kehne who was fired by Wells when the appeals were dropped immediately filed a notice of appeal before the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in struck Christensen’s flatbed just behind the cab 2-t- on sliding beneath tt Christensen's truck ran off die highway and rolled over before coming to rest on its top Bell’s vehicle came to a stop in the roadway Bell suffered massive head trauma and died at the emergency room at Logan last-minu- Regional Hospital shortly after the accident Christensen was uninjured in the accident Utah Highway Patrol Officer Tony Hutson said the accident is sdQ under investigation h ’ I i 12-0- 1 “ ill- - ‘ ‘ Former USU employee has repaid money " Dan MMsrHuraM Journal Winter cleanup A former Utah State University employee who embezzled more than $4000 ’ ing guilty to theft a -degree felony and misuse of public funds a third-degr- felony for ee mitting forged ent forms and then pocketing cash received back between 1991—1992 while she was a staff assistant at USU Ctntis was also sentenced to an indefinite time in the Cache County Jail Skabelund told Judge Low on Monday Curtis had yet to serve any of that jail time Low said execution of the jail sentence would be left up to probation officials said OGDEN Utah (AP)— The City Council has reversed a vote to restore public prayer before its municipal meetings moment of silence and instead will retain its The council voted 3 at its regular meeting Tuesday night to continue opening meetings with a moment silence instead of prayer The decision came only one day after the council voted to do just die opposite The prayer issue which was not listed on the agenda originally surfaced Monday during a special meeting to swear in newly elected members Council member Michael Miller requested the discussion which ended in a 3 decision to re institute public prayer before municipal meetings However several members including Miller's successor Jesse Garda objected to the way the vote was conducted and called for a reversal of the decision "How will people think if someone who worships Satan comes in and offers the prayer?” asked Garda who was sworn in immediately after Monday’s vote and look his seal at Tuesday eighth meeting Council member Adele Smith said she also was shocked by the vote on Monday "which allowed a lame-duc- k 4-- - ‘ u death in an unprovoked attack at a Boise tavern was scheduled to die by lethal injection at 12:01 am Thursday ers including one woman still on Death Row all appealing their sentences Wells 31 who described himself as “a predator on the prowl for prey” the night 1m beat Justad and Brandi Rains 20 to death in an unprovoked attack at a Boise tavern was scheduled to visit with his wife Cindy for the last time this afternoon less than nine hours before he is die by lethal injection He visited with both his wife and the rest of his family for several hours on Tuesday Under the court order directing the visits Wells was fully restrained during meetings with his wife for her protection At erne point while on parole Wells held his then-pregna- nt wife and step- son hostage with an explosive And at another point during his imprisonment he grabbed his wife around the throat while she was ' visiting him ' Despite what they admit is overwhelming public support for tal punishment death penalty critics made final preparations for tonight’s vigils and peaceful protests And a former warden at the main state prison who came within 11 days of carrying out an exe- cution in 1984 was critical of death penalty proponents forgetting the people who actually cany out the sentence ' the Utah Supreme Court The court's dedsion handed down last month overits regular The council voted 4-- 3 turned a lower court ruling that prayers by the Salt Lake meeting Tuesday night to continue City Council violated the state constitution The high court upheld the city's prayer policy saying that it was opening meetings with moment and that the involved or The decision was accessible to alL public money property silence the council only Miller said he brought up the prayer issue before leaving office because there had always been an understanding the opposite voted to do the subject and he also wanted to Ogden would make his mark I "I wanted it for a statement for myself as a coundl memmember of the council to deny the vote of an incoming he said "I’ve always felt prayer for a governmental ber” council member" body is necessary” ”1 think that the decision that we made to keep the Following Tuesday’s meeting Miller said his opinions moment of silence is very much in keeping with the wish about prayer remained the same despite the council’s deciconstruct walls” sion to of Ogden City to reach out rather-thaopt for a moment of silence she said "1 knew that this possibly could happen” he said "But The council has hosted only silent prayer since April now being off the council I can’t change anything It's just 1992 At that time the coundl decided 2 to replace' something the community will have to acknowledge and to prayer with the 60 seconds of silence pending a ruling by recognize" at a came instead of prayer one day after just n 4-- Logan men to serve time in plea agreement for construction heists By Gina Howard staff wrttw TVo Logan men who (deeded guilty to stealing construction materials from a Logan lumber yard were sentenc'd Monday in 1st District Court to six months in jail and ordered to pay restitution Kirk Johnson 24 120 N 200 West and Rodney Cobia 28 1063 N 1800 East each pleaded guilty in November to theft a felony for steal000 SI ia construct ion more tkaa ing from Cache Vfclley Builders Supply their employer at the time and selling it below coat to another Logan business In return for their pleas a charge of racketeering a second-degre- e third-degr- ee England whose brother John Jus-ta- d was killed by Wells It will be die first in Idaho since October 1937 and only the 10th carried out by die state this century Here are 21 other murder- - predator on the prowl for prey" the night he beat John Justad and Brandi Rains 20 to Ogden council reverses prayer decision 4-- sub- expense-reimbursem- meantime operations specialist Rick Johnson said crew members work to keep the trucks in good shape and sand the roads to avoid freezing And waitfor the snow ‘We’re ready to go whenever It hits’ Johnson 60-scca- nd second- anti-dea- th two innocent people” said Jan A plow deans the highway in Logan Canyon this morning In the meantime state highway workers at road shed No 136 in Logan say they are stifl bracing for a big anowstorm in spite of the unseasonably balmy weather northern Utah la enjoying In the in public funds has repaid all the money she took and paid off all her fines her attorney said Monday Greg Skabelund attorney for Karen Curtis 39 College Ward told 1st District Judge Gordon J Low at a review hearing Monday that Curtis has “paid ha fines fees and full restitution'’ ' Curtis was sentenced Dec 13 to pay $4022 restitution and a 1830 fine after plead- te court-appoint- ed According to the press release neither driver was wearing a seatbelt r San Francisco Kehne said Wells believes he is possessed by demons and believes he will be rid of them only if he dies Idaho Solicitor General Lynn Thomas who has been prepared for days to fend off attempts to block the execution said he understands judges on die 9th Circuit are standing by to consider that petition Wells current attorney maintains the efforts by outsiders to block the execution are punishing both Wells and his family Prison officials said they could accf mmodate any stay up until the time the execution is scheduled to begin — ajn Thursday But penalty activists were'pessimistic that Idaho’s first execution in 36 years would be blocked and relatives of Wells victims hope it will ribL "I don’t want him to continue living when he took the lives of Keith Wells 31 who described himself as "a felony against each man will be dropped 30 davs after sentencing Judge Gordon L Low suspended a statutory 0—5 year prison sentence for both men because it wss their first felony conviction Before they were sentenced Johnson and Cobia totd the court they were sany for w hat they bad done and apologized to tbs owners of Cache Valley Bufidcrs Supply-Johnso- n told the court "I want them to know I'm deeply sorry I want to be beld accountable 1 did ft I stole twice without considering the consequences"' Johnson adJed that be was "extremely remorseful and the 10 days he spent ta jail were the 10 hardest days of his life Johnson was given 10 days credit toward his jail sentence for the time be had already served ' Cobia through hit lawyer llerm Olsen said his actions were inappropriate and foolish Low characterized the men's actions as "very stupid" la addition to the jail lime to be served at discretion oi probation officials Johnson and Cobia were fined $1136 and ordered to pay SIJ031 restitution with Christopher ant Sorenson Cobia and Johnson had delivered tile stolen materials to Sorenson owner of Bear Lake Marine ia Logan Sorenson was sen ieneed in November to 20 days in jail after pleading guilty to theft by receiv fog a second-degrfelony ee a Utah refuses to implement Clinton abortion mandate SALT LAKE CTIY (AP) — Utah will refuse to implement the Clinton administration's order to states to begin paying for abortions for poor women m cases of rape and fecesL Rod Bctit executive director of the Utah Department of Health said today that the white House edict not only conflicts with state law bat that Utah officials do not believe it truly reflects foe intent of Congress eaacted last August ia the so-call- ed Hyde Amendment That amendment which since 1977-haallowed use of federal Medicaid funds only to save foe life of the mother was liberalized slightly to pay for abortions ia rape or incest cases as weU Bctit said that in foe put states have been allowed some latitude ia their me of federal Medicaid funds That has been particularly prized ia Utah where a "What we’re doing la refusiag to tough abortion statute basically limits foe practice to case where foe mother's implement ft until it k proven that Congress intended to override state life is to dang et "This time strangely enough they are statutes” he said "(Utah) will not pretot giving stares that discretion” Bctit maturely jump to foe new standard” The administration maintains that its said "That seems inconsistent the order Acme from foe changes Congress historical application of this policy h d |
