Utah
Ainge ‘excited for hockey again’ with NHL going to Utah | NHL.com
SALT LAKE CITY — Hockey is about the only sport Danny Ainge didn’t play. He starred in football, basketball and baseball in high school; played college basketball and Major League Baseball at the same time; and, of course, has had a long, accomplished career as an NBA player, coach and executive.
But Ainge follows hockey, especially in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and has an inside perspective on the owners of Utah’s new NHL team. He works for Ryan and Ashley Smith as Utah Jazz CEO of basketball operations.
When they held a press conference with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman at Delta Center on Friday, he was in the audience.
“I don’t know how else to say it except they’re just amazing,” Ainge said. “I mean, the only reason I’m working in basketball right now is because of them.”
After his three-sport high school career in Eugene, Oregon, Ainge played basketball at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, from 1977-81.
He also played 211 games over three seasons as an infielder and outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1979-81. Of course, that was in the summer, so he didn’t cross paths with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But then he joined the Boston Celtics as a guard in 1981-82 and got to know some of the Boston Bruins at Boston Garden.
“My experience with hockey, it was just when I got to Boston,” he said. “We were sharing an arena there, and we had some players that we hung out with a little bit in between practice sessions. But I follow hockey. I follow playoff hockey. I’ve seen some hockey, and I love hockey.”
After 35 seasons in the NBA — 14 as a player, three as a coach and 18 as an executive — Ainge announced his retirement June 2, 2021. Among his many accomplishments: two NBA titles as a player (1984 and 1986) and another as executive (2008), all with the Celtics.
“I was done,” he said. “I was just worn out a little bit.”
But then the Smiths convinced him to join the Jazz on Dec. 15, 2021.
“They’ve rejuvenated me,” the 65-year-old said. “Not to work at the same level that I did in Boston and the same responsibilities, but to be part of the franchise has been really, really fun.”
Over the last couple of months, Ainge started following the Arizona Coyotes. He mentioned forwards Clayton Keller, their 25-year-old leading scorer this season (76 points in 78 games), and Dylan Guenther, a 21-year-old who scored 18 goals in 45 games.
“I think they’ve got some promising, fun young players,” he said. “It’s exciting. I’m excited for hockey again.”
The NHL Board of Governors voted Thursday to establish an NHL team in Utah. The new team acquired the Coyotes’ hockey assets, including the players and hockey operations employees. Ryan Smith met with them Thursday and referenced them multiple times in the press conference Friday, calling them “our 70 people.”
Delta Center will host a free event to welcome the team Wednesday. Fans are invited to a plaza party and celebration, with food, music, games, giveaways and player introductions.
“[The Smiths] really want to take care of people, and they want to make it a good experience,” Ainge said. “They’re going to make those 70 people that they talked about really, really excited that they’re here.”
The fan response has been overwhelming. Utah collected about 22,700 season-ticket deposits in just over 24 hours and might have to offer partial season-ticket packages. Delta Center will start with 16,200 seats for hockey, including 12,000 unobstructed, until renovations create 17,500 for hockey over a couple of years.
“That doesn’t really surprise me,” Ainge said. “I guess it’s surprising that there’s that much that fast, but I don’t think that I’m surprised. Utah is … like, Ryan talked a lot about it here. He believes in Utah, and he believes in the people.”
Ryan Smith said the Utah NHL team will invest in youth hockey the way the Jazz have invested in youth basketball too. He said he just ordered 70,000 jerseys for the Junior Jazz.
Maybe a young athlete who plays football, basketball and baseball will try hockey too.
“I know how sports are such a big part of children’s lives around here,” Ainge said. “I think adding hockey will just add that many more people. [Kids can] find a new love or a new option in hockey. I think that’s very exciting. Sports is big in this whole culture.”
Utah
Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.
A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.
He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.
MORE | Big Cottonwood Canyon Avalanche
In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.
“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.
A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.
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Utah
911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas
CONTENT WARNING: This report discusses suicide and includes descriptions of audio from 911 calls that some viewers may find disturbing.
LAS VEGAS — Exclusively obtained 911 recordings detail the hours leading up to the discovery of an 11-year-old Utah girl and her mother dead inside a Las Vegas hotel room in an apparent murder-suicide.
Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, lived in West Jordan and had traveled to Nevada for the JAMZ cheerleading competition.
The calls show a growing sense of urgency from family members and coaches, and several hours passing before relatives learned what happened.
MORE | Murder-Suicide
Below is a timeline of the key moments, according to dispatch records. All times are Pacific Time.
10:33 a.m. — Call 1
After Addi and her mother failed to appear at the cheerleading competition, Addi’s father and stepmother called dispatch for a welfare check.
Addi and her mother were staying at the Rio hotel. The father told dispatch that hotel security had already attempted contact.
“Security went up and knocked on the door. There’s no answer or response it doesn’t look like they checked out or anything…”
11:18 a.m. and 11:27 a.m. — Calls 2 and 3
As concern grew, Addi’s coach contacted the police two times within minutes.
“We think the child possibly is in imminent danger…”
11:26 a.m. — Call 4
Addi’s stepmother placed another call to dispatch, expressing escalating concern.
“We are extremely concerned we believe that something might have seriously happened.”
She said that Tawnia’s car was still at the hotel.
Police indicated officers were on the way.
2:26 p.m. — Call 5
Nearly three hours after the initial welfare check request, fire personnel were en route to the scene. It appeared they had been in contact with hotel security.
Fire told police that they were responding to a possible suicide.
“They found a note on the door.”
2:35 p.m. — Call 6
Emergency medical personnel at the scene told police they had located two victims.
“It’s going to be gunshot wound to the head for both patients with notes”
A dispatcher responded:
“Oh my goodness that’s not okay.”
2:36 p.m. — Call 7
Moments later, fire personnel relayed their assessment to law enforcement:
“It’s going to be a murder suicide, a juvenile and a mother.”
2:39 p.m. — Call 8
Unaware of what had been discovered, Addi’s father called dispatch again.
“I’m trying to file a missing persons report for my daughter.”
He repeats the details he knows for the second time.
3:13 p.m. — Call 9
Father and stepmother call again seeking information and continue to press for answers.
“We just need some information. There was a room check done around 3:00 we really don’t know where to start with all of this Can we have them call us back immediately?”
Dispatch responded:
“As soon as there’s a free officer, we’ll have them reach out to you.”
4:05 p.m. — Call 10
More than an hour later, Addi’s father was put in contact with the police on the scene. He pleaded for immediate action.
“I need someone there I need someone there looking in that room”
The officer confirmed that they had officers currently in the room.
Addi’s father asks again what they found, if Addi and her mother are there, and if their things were missing.
The officer, who was not on scene, said he had received limited information.
5:23 p.m. — Call 11
Nearly seven hours after the first welfare check request, Addi’s grandmother contacted police, describing conflicting information circulating within the family.
“Some people are telling us that they were able to get in, and they were not in the hotel room, and other people saying they were not able to get in the hotel room, and we need to know”
She repeated the details of the case. Dispatch said officers will call her back once they have more information.
Around 8:00 p.m. — Press Conference
Later that evening, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police held a news conference confirming that Addi and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were found dead inside the hotel room.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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Utah
Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — AI glasses could allow you to get answers, snap photos, access audio and take phone calls—and now a proposal moving through the legislature would ban the glasses from Utah school classrooms.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Kizzy Guyton Murphy, a mother who accompanied her child’s class on a field trip to the state Capitol on Wednesday. “You can’t see inside what the student is looking at, and it’s just grounds for cheating.”
Mom Tristan Davies Seamons also sees trouble with AI glasses.
“I don’t think they should have any more technology in schools than they currently have,” she said.
Her twin daughters, fourth graders Finley and Grayson, don’t have cell phones yet.
“Not until we’re like 14,” said Grayson, adding they do have Chromebooks in school.
2News sent questions to the Utah State Board of Education:
- Does it have reports of students using AI glasses?
- Does it see cheating and privacy as major concerns?
- Does it support a ban from classrooms?
Matt Winters, USBE AI specialist, said the board has not received reports from school districts of students with AI glasses.
“Local Education Agencies (school districts) have local control over these decisions based on current law and code,” said Winters. “The Board has not taken a position on AI glasses.
MORE | Utah State Legislature:
Some districts across the country have reportedly put restrictions on the glasses in schools.
“I think it should be up to the teachers,” said Briauna Later, another mother who is all for preventing cheating, but senses a ban could leave administrators with tired eyes.
“It’s one more thing for the administration to have to keep track of,” said Later.
The proposal, HB 42, passed the House and cleared a Senate committee on Wednesday.
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