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Show MW1 rtfvi Tuesday oeiw . xiota-- T 111th Year - No. 73 September 10, 2002 Price, Utah inkikjM 500 an??, jfe CHS Dkna stomp mmtitmtm j?? Union, 6A fr Court renders guilty trial verdicts in negligent homicide complaint By LYNNDA JOHNSON Sun Advocate editor JnScpL 5, the 7th District Court rendered guilty verdicts in the negligent homicide case filed against a Brigham City motorist in connection with a triple fatal traffic accident in Cat Canyon. The defendant, Irene C Apodaca, appeared at a bench trial in die misdemeanor category criminal complaint last Thursday before Judge Bruce K. Halliday. Carbon County Attorney Gene Strate served as the state prosecutor and Dale Douris represented the defendant during the criminal proceeding. After weighing the evidence presented at foe trial, Judge Halliday found Apodaca guilty on three separate class A negligent homicide counts along with an additional class C improper pass-in- g traffic violation. The court ordered a presentence investigation in the criminal matter and directed the to report to the Utah Department of Corrections in Price. de-fend- At the conclusion of last Thursdays trial proceeding, the district judge tentatively sched the incident Filed in the district cdlirt by the Carbon County Attorney's Office, the misdemeanor category complaint contended that the defendant acted with criminal negligence and caused the deaths of the three in the Cat Canyon accident The criminal information identifies the victims of the class A negligent homicide counts as Oran Neve, Donald Wayne Neve and Donald Christopher Neve. uled pronouncement ofjudgment and sentence in Apodacas class A and class C misdemeanor category criminal convictions on Nov. 11 The class A negligent homicide offenses filed against the motorist stem from a collision on U.S. Highway 6 east of Wellington that claimed the lives of three California men chain-reacti- on July 25, 2001. According to the Utah Highway Patrols investigation into the incident, the accident oc- homicide charges, the formal curred when a mini-va- n allegedly crossed the center line to pass a semi-truc- and forced the k complaint filed against the Brigham City motorist con- vic- tend that Apodaca, at the time and date in question, drove a vehicle on the left side of the pavement striping designed to make zone. a Pursuant to Utah statute, individuals convicted of committing a class A misdemeanor category offense may be sentenced to one year in jail and fined tims Lincoln Towncar off the roadway. The Lincolns driver purportedly attempted to bring the vehicle back onto the highway, but apparently overcorrected and. a Ford Thuras. The Tbwncar then collided into a tractor-trailand the force of the impact demolished the struck er Linooln. AD three occupants trav- $200 the fatal mishap identified class C criminal convictions iny clude a jail term along with a $750 fine. plus applicable fees, assessments and interest. Under state law, the maxi- eling in the Tbwncar succumbed to accident-relate- d injuries. TheUHFs investigation into mum penalties imposable in -- Apodaca as the motorist operatat the time of ing the mini-va- n 90-da- Carbon County commissioners Wuss ATV trail system proposed by residents By RICHARD SHAW Staffjeporter The Carbon County Commission met in their regularly scheduled meeting last Wednesday discussion was the proposed ATV trail system some citizens of Wellington are proposing. I am here for two reasons, explained Larry Johnson, who represented the group that wants to build the trails. First of all, we need to reviewwhere we head from here. Vfe also need to know on how to get final approval on State crime officials clear materials from suspected meth lab State officials dean up a suspected methamphetamine laboratory last Wednesday in Wellington. The suspected clandestine operation was discovered after a smal fire brake private residence. According to Wellington Police Chief Lee Barry, the fire was reportedly ignited by resident leny Gibson, age 36, when the suspect was attempting to remove tips of matches. Motorists passing by the honie discovered the smoke and called for emergency personnel to respond to the scene. By the time fire crews arrived at the house, Gibson had put the fire out and purportedly refused to alloWJtg emergency personnel access to the inside the private residence. The man's behavior prompted suspicion and a warrant was obtained to search the premises. When drug enforcement officials entered the residence, the authorities discovered a bigs suspected meth lab set the money the restaurant tax committee approved for the up in the home. project Johnson referred to $50,000 that the committee approved to begin the project But at the last meeting of the county commission, the money was held up due to concerns about the trail system, particular the right of ways that needed tobe acquired. We are proposing an ATV trail system similar to the one they have in Piute Cbunty stated Johnson, referring to die Piute ThuL The first leg rf die system would travel from Wellington to were weapons and cameras set up around the house and he had what officers beiieve to be a large lab-ioperation. The home was a complete disaster and was unlrvaWe, indicated Barry. After the suspected lab was discovered, state crime officials arrived in the area to dismantle the crime scene. There After they toured the home, the authorities recommended that the house be condemned because of purported health hazards. A Southeastern Utah Health District representative visited the private residence and ordered the house to be condemned. WjMMA a& uieautnonoes anted tnennTie, eacn item rate omciais started tearing down me suspected ctanoesone bd. as was documented one at a time. Carbon Sheriff James Cordova explained that it took the team approximately eight related mess wil remain in place and be the responsibility of the g hours to dean up the scene. Any homeowner to dean or destroy. Loro ova pointed out mat tne operation n vreinngiDn was one or me largest suspected mem taos discovered m mo state for quite some time.. non-dru- East Carbon. Actually, many of die trials already exist We need the money to set up the trail head mented with grants, explained Krompel referring to the total $250J)00 needed to put together the project We have discovered that a federal recreation grant is available for this kind of project and signage. Johnson indicated that the system would be the beginning of what the proponents hoped would become a full set of trails eventually going from Scofield to East Carbon. Piute County now estimates that their trails system brings in an additional $5 million per year because of the tourism dollars it has generated, Johnson stated. It has really upped their revenues and businesses. For instance, before the trail system was put in, Marysvale had only one business license within the city limits. Now it has 25. The county estimates those who come to use the trial systems spend $75 per day per person while there. Many of those I talk to think that is very conservative and believe it to be more like $150 to $200 per day. Commissioner Bill Krompel outlined what would have to happen for the group to put in the as well. But the issue of proper right of ways resurfaced. Apparently, many of the trails already run along class D county roads. But some of the trails run on United States Bureau of Land Management property as well as a couple of sections of private parcels. There is a section of land that will need to be secured for this first section of trail, said But I understand that the owner is willing to sell the Johnson. property." However, further resolution regarding the awarding of the money was postponed until the next meeting of the commission. Commissioner Mike Milovich was excused from the meeting and he was the one who had conOf wsys,particu-laxt- y cerns about those on BLM land at the last gathering. Acting on unrelated business matters included on the (Continued on page 5A) riit trail system. When granted, the money that the restaurant committee approved will have to be supple Carbon workforce witnesses ie? ' dipping unemployment rate ; .S a. 'v v employment rate for August 2002 registered at 5 percent After having fallen into the 5 percent range m the latter half of 2001, the unemployment rate has remained pretty stable. Utahs job market is nvsiy dynamic right now, so this stable unemployment rate is consistent with the markets inertia, noted MarkKnold, senior economist for die department of workforce aviceft.' County awakes to puddles, Monday or water suixunf in numerous locations ui tne V8u6y.lrr06wno jj rains produced more moisture overal in Castle VaSey than has fallen Vi any storm in a tong time. The thirsty found absorbed the moisture and pools of water didnt start to appear until had been ruling tor more Ilian 24 hours on Saturday. The forecast presets clearing and waimini tuns later in the week. Showers ire possible at the end of next meek. aX I . mr, an OR COPY i in the number of wage and salaried jobs, continued to slip downward. The number of Utah jobs re- Carbon Countys workforce witnessed slightly declining unemployment m August. Carbons jobless rate dipped to 5.7 percent from the 6.6 percent unemployment figure reported in July 2002. By compulsion, joblessness in Carbon County registered at 5.5 percent in August 2001.' At the state level, Utahs un- Apprarimately5600 Utahns were unemployed in August. The number represents a 17 percent increase from the 48,654 unemployment residents repprted statewide last year when the jobless rate was 4 A percent Utahs second primary indi- cator of current labor market conditions, the yeaKwer change non-far- m prated in August 2002 was down 20,400 or 1.9 percent against 2001 figures. . Some of the decrease is an anomaly in that we are beginning to makeyear-ove- r comparisons against the Olympic buildup of a year ago. But that explains away rally a small proportion of the additional decline. Its primary cause is rooted in the overall weakness of the United States economy, explained Raylene ' Ireland, workforce services director. Nationally, the unemployment rate in August at 5.7 percent, a slight dec from Julys jobless figures The number of Americans unemployed at locations across the nation totaled 8.1 million in i negative tetri-- ; tory. The year-ovby 0.9 employment was down ' er non-far- m percent . ' The nations employment situation has hovered close to (Gonbnued on page BA) . t l .h SStf 4 i NraHB&t . . .V;, ? . -' w V ft ' , s i . . y - z' ; Volunteers assist Junior high students Janies Lss assists Hefper Junior High student Emilio Olivas with homework during business and education day at the school. Members of the Key Bank offica vst ttis school annually and perform activities to support education in thelocal area. Lao and Shelley Bogriin woikad in the Bbrary and graded students teste as part of the 2002 event a; V, sU. |