Utah

Advocates react to Utah ban of 13 books in schools and libraries: ‘It’s a tragedy’

Published

4 hours ago

August 9, 2024

Advocates react to Utah ban of 13 books in schools and libraries: ‘It’s a tragedy’

Library associations, free speech groups and advocates are expressing outrage and concern after the state of Utah ordered 13 books to be removed from public school classrooms and libraries in accordance with a new state law that passed earlier this year.

“It’s a tragedy,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

“Many of those works are highly praised, some award-winning works of literature, others are books that many read for enjoyment, and none of them come anywhere near to meeting the definition of illegal materials and arguably they have a place on the shelf for voluntary reading for students for whom they’re developmentally appropriate.”

On 2 August, with just a few weeks before students in Utah return to school, state officials released a list of books to be removed from public school classrooms and libraries. The move comes on the heels of Utah’s Republican-controlled state legislature passing a law in February and the state’s governor signing it in March, which free speech organizations say make it the first state in the country to outlaw titles statewide.

The law, which formally took effect on 1 July, states that education agencies in Utah should prioritize “protecting children from the harmful effects of illicit pornography over other considerations”.

The books banned on Friday, which included Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur and Forever by Judy Blume, were banned because they were considered to contain “pornographic or indecent” material.

The banned materials must be “legally disposed of” and “may not be sold or distributed” per the guidelines. Utah’s public school districts are also required to remove books if a book was previously banned in either three districts, or two school districts and five charter schools. (For reference, Utah has 41 public school districts in total.)

Free speech and education advocates across the country and the state are concerned about the possible impact the law may have.

“It really is an effort to allow a minority to dictate the contents of library shelves, and conform what’s on library shelves to their own political, religious and moral values,” Caldwell-Stone said, adding that the Utah law differs from other similar measures across the county because it is the only one (so far) that mandates the removal of books from every public school in the state. Most other bans have been a local district issue.

Caldwell-Stone believes that the law will be used in an “expansive fashion”.

“It will create a chilling effect,” she said, before noting that a vocal minority will now be able to control the curriculum and access to books for every student in the state.

Their definition of “sensitive materials” can often encompass things like gender identity, sexual orientation, race and racism, which has been seen at the local level, Caldwell-Stone said.

She also noted that this could deny Utah students access to reading about these topics, the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills, and to learn about the lives and experiences of others, among other things.

Kasey Meehan, the director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program, which has been tracking book banning efforts across the country for years, said on Thursday that she was not surprised by the books on the list released in Utah on Friday, as they are books that have been targeted nationally for their content.

“Predominantly, they’re books that are written by females, predominantly they’re books that include depictions of sex as well as sexual assault and violence,” she said. “And we just see a really continued campaign to eradicate those books from public school libraries.”

Like Caldwell-Stone, Meehan is also concerned about the impact on the students in Utah.

“We’ve written about this and it’s been demonstrated, but having information about sex and sexual abuse does not encourage individuals to have more sex, but instead, actually is a valuable tool in preventing sexual assault and sexual violence,” she said. “To see those resources removed just opens up potential harms on students without access to that kind of information.”

The law also places the burden on school educators, administrators and librarians to remove books, taking their attention away from students and educating, she said.

Meehan has criticized the guidelines for disposing of the books, calling them “vague” and stating that the law will “undoubtedly result in dumpsters full of books that could otherwise be enjoyed by readers”.

Peter Bromberg, co-chair of the advocacy committee of the Utah Library Association, echoed Meehan’s concerns on how many of the banned books deal in some way or another with the themes of sexual assault, particularly as sexual assault affects thousands of Utah residents – including many young girls – a year, per government data.

“These books can help teens understand that they’re not alone,” he said. “It might give them the language and the ability to talk about what happened to a trusted adult.”

Bromberg is also concerned that this law is a criminal statute, calling it “very disturbing that this law now puts librarians and teachers and school board members in legal jeopardy just for having highly regarded and award winning works of literature on high school library shelves”.

Advocates expect that the number of books banned in Utah will only increase in the coming months. Many also believe that the Utah law will be challenged in the courts.

Across the country, other states are passing book ban legislation with similar language to Utah’s, including in South Carolina earlier this summer.

In 2023 alone, more books were banned in US schools and libraries than any other year for which records have been kept, the ALA reported.

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Utah

Third bear put down after spotted at Utah campground

Published

11 hours ago

August 9, 2024

Press Room

Third bear put down after spotted at Utah campground

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — After officials warned of the drought forcing bears to be closer in proximity to people, a third bear has been euthanized after being spotted at a Utah campground.

The other day, Larry and Shauna Baker stopped by Soapstone Campground off of the Mirror Lake Highway.

“There was garbage thrown all over the place by two of the bins,” said Larry. “My impression, I don’t know if this is right, was that the bins were full and people just started putting their garbage next to the bin.”

According to Northern Region Outreach Manager Mark Hadley, the Division of Wildlife Resources officials put down a two-and-a-half-year-old male bear the other day after it kept coming to eat garbage out of the dumpsters.

“After we euthanize the animal, we performed what’s called a necropsy, and we examined the bear’s stomach,” he said. “It was filled with trash and food from campsites, so that’s the reason that the bear kept coming in to those areas, is it just kept getting rewarded with things that it wanted.”

If a bear is acting aggressively, or showing no fear of humans, DWR’s policy is that it has to be put down.

“The bear is still a wild animal,” he said. “It hasn’t lost its wildness, but it starts to lose its wariness of people. It starts to become less and less scared of people, and so then that creates a very dangerous situation.”

Campers are advised to clean campsites and tables of all food, waste and anything that smells, and to store such items in bear-safe containers or locked vehicles.

“The last thing in the world that we want to do is have to have to euthanize an animal,” he said. “We’re just asking people, begging people, please be responsible when you’re up camping.”

Soapstone Campground remains closed as U.S. Forest Service rangers clean up the damage done by the bear.

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Utah

Oktoberfest, Hot Air Balloons, Shakespeare and MORE events happening across Utah this weekend!

Published

18 hours ago

August 8, 2024

Press Room

Oktoberfest, Hot Air Balloons, Shakespeare and MORE events happening across Utah this weekend!

SALT LAKE CITY — End the summer with a weekend PACKED full of fun events for everyone in your family no matter where you are in Utah!

If you know of an event that isn’t on this list or you have something coming up, email the details to news@fox13now.com to be featured

Here’s what’s happening across the Beehive State!

CACHE COUNTY
Cache County Fair and Rodeo – Celebrate 145 years of tradition at the county fair and rodeo at the Cache County Fairgrounds in Logan! This Saturday from 9 a.m. you can see fine arts and horticulture and floriculture at the indoor exhibits or watch the horse shows or even the dog competition and show! All-Day Carnival tickets are available for purchase UNTIL SOLD OUT, without rodeo tickets available for purchase online or at various locations. Follow the link for the full schedule and events.

DAVIS COUNTY
Bountiful Davis Art Center Summerfest – The Summerfest this Saturday will have plenty of fun music, art, and hands-on craft activities for kids! This Saturday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. the Bountiful Town Square will feature several stages, artisans and food trucks. The workshops to deep-dive into the arts and culture will host sessions lead by an artisan who is a master of their craft. Supplies are limited, visit their website for individual workshop prices.

Utah Retro GameXpo – Come join a celebration of retro gaming culture and history at the Davis Conference Center in Layton! This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. you will find over 180 vendors of items from your childhood from videogames to toys and collectables. There will also be speaker panel discussions, free arcades you can play and an auction for rare and unique items! Follow the link for the map layout and more information.

IRON COUNTY
Utah Shakespeare Festival Greenshow – Stop by at the Ashton Family Greenshow Common for a FREE outdoor evening event hosted by the Utah Shakespeare Festival this Saturday at 7:10 p.m. There will be three different versions of The Greenshow presented. Visit the website for more information.

SALT LAKE COUNTY
Oktoberfest at Snowbird – Snowbird’s 52nd Oktoberfest to feature traditional Bavarian fare, over 50 beer varieties and an arrow of local vendors, live music, face paintings and more! Admission to the festival is free, but parking will cost $12 per vehicle. Follow the link for more information or download the Snowbird mobile app for parking updates.

Bluffdale Old West Days – Celebrate the Old West with Bluffdale, the parade will begin at 10 a.m. from the corner of 15000 South and 2200 West and will take you to the Bluffdale City Park where games, petting zoo, local artist showcase and more will be hosted!

Sandy Balloon Festival – Don’t miss Sandy’s 17th annual hot air balloon festival happening this Saturday! Come and visit Storm Mountain Park at 6:30 a.m. and watch the pilots prepare to take to the skies! You can also volunteer to help prepare for a chance to enjoy a free tethered ride 50-80 feet in the air! There will also be food trucks and a morning DJ. The hot air balloons will glow in the night sky at 7 p.m. with a drone show at 10 p.m., visit the link for more information.

UTAH COUNTY
Spanish Fork Children’s Market – Bring your family to a market where the crafts and goods are made and sold by kids! This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Spanish Fork City Park there will be several booths, follow the link for the Children’s Market Map! The concert and fireworks will begin at 5 p.m., visit their website for more information on all the events.

Alpine Days Parade – Join the Alpine Days Parade this Saturday! The line-up starts at 8 a.m. near the roundabout on the south end of Main Street, with the parade itself beginning at 9 a.m. After the parade, you can visit the Concert at Alpine Days at Creekside Park, which begins at 10 a.m. and will feature a carnival and boutiques with the concert beginning at noon. Follow the link for the full schedule.

WEBER COUNTY
Weber County Fair – The Weber County Fair continues this weekend! This Saturday at the Golden Spike Arena from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. you can experience a variety of activities including SeaQuest, wood carving, a petting farm and MORE fun for the whole family! Visit their website for locations and times for all events.

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Utah

Utah man put to death by lethal injection in state’s first execution since 2010

Published

1 day ago

August 8, 2024

Press Room

Utah man put to death by lethal injection in state’s first execution since 2010

A Utah man who killed his girlfriend’s mother by slashing her throat was put to death by lethal injection early on Thursday in the state’s first execution since 2010.

Taberon Dave Honie, 48, was convicted of aggravated murder in the July 1998 death of Claudia Benn, the maternal grandmother of his now 27-year-old daughter, Tressa.

Honie was pronounced dead at 12:25am local time in an execution that went as planned and took about 17 minutes. He tapped his foot and mouthed “I love you” to family members watching from a witness chamber after he was given the lethal injection of two doses of pentobarbital.

Honie was 22 when he broke into Benn’s house in Cedar City, the tribal headquarters of the Paiute Indian tribe of Utah, after a day of heavy drinking and drug use. He repeatedly slashed Benn’s throat and stabbed other parts of her body. The judge who sentenced him to death also found that Honie had sexually abused one of Benn’s other grandchildren who was in the house with a then two-year-old Tressa at the time of the murder.

Honie, who had grown up on the Hopi Indian reservation in Arizona, spent the evening with his daughter and other immediate family before the execution. He told Tressa earlier this week that he had come to terms with his fate and hoped she could too, she told the Associated Press.

After the medical team removed Honie’s body from the chamber, his family was allowed in to perform a Native American grieving ritual with bird feathers and cornmeal that they told officers would help free his soul after death.

Outside the prison, a group of anti-death penalty protesters sang Amazing Grace and held signs that said, “All life is precious.”

After decades of failed appeals, Honie’s execution warrant was signed in June despite defense objections to the planned lethal drug. In July, the state changed its execution protocol to using only a high dose of pentobarbital – the nervous system suppressant used to euthanize pets.

The Utah board of pardons and parole denied Honie’s petition to commute his sentence to life in prison after a July hearing during which Honie’s attorneys described his troubled childhood growing up on the reservation with parents who abused alcohol. He had started using hard drugs as a teenager and told the parole board he would not have killed Benn if he had been in his “right mind”. He asked the board to allow him “to exist” so he could be a support for his daughter.

Tressa Honie told the board she had a complicated relationship with her mother and would lose her most supportive parent if her father were to be executed. She said in an interview on Tuesday that she was not ready to lose her dad and felt abandoned by family on her mother’s side who had fought for his execution.

Benn’s close family argued that Taberon Honie deserved no mercy, and they said his execution was the justice they needed after decades of grief.

“He deserves an eye for an eye,” said Benn’s niece, Sarah China Azule.

She and her cousins described Benn as a pillar in their family and south-western Utah community. She was a Paiute tribal council member, substance abuse counselor and caregiver for her children and grandchildren.

Hours before Honie’s execution, a man described by his lawyers as intellectually disabled was executed in Texas for strangling and trying to rape a woman who went jogging near her Houston home more than 27 years ago.

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