- President Donald Trump is expected to sign executive orders reducing the size of Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments on Monday.
- The monuments have shifted in size between administrations, with Trump reducing them in 2017 and President Joe Biden restoring their original boundaries in 2021.
- Environmental groups and Utah officials are divided over the potential reduction, with critics threatening legal challenges and supporters seeking more local control.
Utah
'He passed as a hero saving her': Family reflects on life of Utah man who died saving girlfriend from frozen lake
WEST VALLEY CITY — The family of the 20-year-old deputy who died saving a young woman after they fell through ice at a Tooele County reservoir is speaking for the first time.
The sisters and mother of Emaloni Lutui said his actions were the ultimate act of love because the woman he saved was his girlfriend.
“The woman he saved, died for, was his girlfriend and we love her for loving him,” said Hinalei Fihaki, Lutui’s sister. “In the accident, we just know that she fell and he just wanted to make sure she got out of there, which he did, he just unfortunately didn’t make it out himself.”
On Monday, authorities said the couple was out for a hike at Settlement Canyon Reservoir when they fell through the ice around 7 p.m.
Knowing they had little time, Lutui pushed his girlfriend out then slipped under the icy water, and never resurfaced. His body was recovered a few hours later by search and rescue teams around 11:20 p.m.
Man who died saving woman from icy reservoir was a Salt Lake County deputy
“We know how much he loved her. He would always talk about her to us, so we want to honor and respect the way that this all happened even though it’s not something that we ever wanted or imagined,” Fihaki said. “He passed as a hero saving her.”
Family members are not releasing his girlfriend’s name to respect her privacy during this difficult time.
Lutui’s family was not surprised to learn of his heroic actions. They said he lived a life of service.
“He was really the glue to keeping us all together. As his (older) sisters, we were supposed to be his keepers, but I feel like he was really our keeper,” Fihaki said.
From childhood, family members said Lutui, known affectionately as “Loni,” was always interested in helping others. Lutui’s mother, Maopa Tonga, said his elementary school in Portland, Oregon, had a plaque made for him because of his service to his classmates and teachers.
In high school, he became interested in public service when he joined JROTC. After graduating from Taylorsville High School he joined the Marine Corps. Unfortunately, pandemic restrictions and illness kept him from moving forward shortly after enlisting. His family said he was honorably discharged.
However, Lutui’s desire for a life in public service persevered and his family said he found his true passion closer to home.
“He’s always been… determined,” Tonga said. “He still wanted to be able to serve.”
Lutui graduated from the sheriff’s academy just a few weeks before his death. He joined the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office and was continuing his training in the county jail, according to Sheriff Rosie Rivera.
Lutui’s greatest love was his family. Though he was the fourth of six siblings, his three sisters said he was more like a big brother who took an interest in their lives and was always checking on them.
“He really set the tone for our little brother. As sisters, we would love to find someone for ourselves like him one day. We are really incredibly proud of him,” Fihaki said.
Lutui’s sisters say he was thrilled when he became a father two years ago. Though his relationship with his son’s mother didn’t work out, they remained close friends, and Lutui was a devoted father.
“He truly lived in his purpose which was service,” said Litia Fihaki, Lutui’s oldest sister. “He was super engaged with each and every one of us. He would always call and ask if we needed anything.”
Lutui’s family is clinging to their faith as they grieve his loss.
“I told my girls Loni would want us to do things with love,” said Tonga. “I’m heartbroken but I’m at peace. I’m at peace knowing he’s watching us and he’s at a better place.”
“I think God wanted him to come back home, maybe it was his time to go.” Tonga continued.
Lutui’s family also expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of love and support and the efforts of search and rescue teams, including the Tooele City Police Department.
“We thank them for helping us ensure he can have a proper burial,” Hinalei Fihaki said.
A GoFundMe* has been set up to assist with funeral expenses.
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
SALT LAKE CITY — A Riverton woman is proving that one moment of compassion can change a life.
On May 21, LaCinda Thackeray was flying home to Utah from Southern California after attending a family funeral when someone outside the window caught her attention.
As she waited to board her plane at John Wayne Airport, she noticed an airport worker struggling to walk across the tarmac.
“I just saw somebody who needed a little bit of support and love and kindness,” Thackeray said. “What really was hard for me was just the conditions he was in, and I didn’t even know his story at that point.”
Before her flight departed, Thackeray recorded a short video of the man and shared it on TikTok, asking if anyone knew who he was.
“Immediately when I sat on the airplane, my thought was, if anybody knew who he was, could we get him retired?” Thackeray said. “I didn’t know it was going to take off. I had no idea.”
Within a few hours, the video had been viewed more than a million times. Thousands of people shared it, and strangers from around the world began asking how they could help.
The internet soon identified the man as 64-year-old James Blair, a Navy veteran who works as a fuel injector and fuel mechanic at the airport.
By all accounts, Blair has lived a life of service. He served in the Navy from 1980 to 1990.
“We were 20 minutes from launching against Iran when the hostages were in Iran. We had all of our planes loaded with bombs and missiles on our ship and were just waiting for President Reagan to give the go-ahead,” Blair said.
After the Navy, Blair said he worked at LAX airport for 13 years and, after a three-year stint as a truck driver, returned to working on planes at John Wayne Airport.
“I’ve been at John Wayne Airport since April of 2006,” Blair said.
Though Blair turned 64 in March, retirement is not on his horizon.
“My plan was to work until I can’t work, until I physically can’t work,” he said. “I have inquiries out about getting knee operations; I’m working on that right now.”
Despite ongoing knee problems, Blair said his priority is his elderly mother, whom he lives with.
Thackeray said much of Blair’s income goes toward her hospice care.
“She has her good days, and she has her bad days,” Blair said.
Encouraged by people online, Thackeray started a GoFundMe campaign. She said donations quickly poured in.
“At one point, I remember telling my husband, ‘What did I do?’” Thackeray said. “When we needed to get him the money, that is when we were a little panicky, but then it changed really fast.”
The overwhelming support, Thackeray said, presented an exciting opportunity but also some challenges in ensuring that Blair would receive the money.
Until recently, Blair didn’t have a smartphone or social media accounts.
His boss volunteered to drive 1.5 hours to his home to help him set up a GoFundMe account so that he could receive the funds as a beneficiary.
“When his boss went out there, it eased so much anxiety,” Thackeray said.
Recently, Thackeray returned to California to personally deliver a $174,000 check to Blair.
For Blair, the support from complete strangers has restored his faith in humanity.
“Not in a million years,” Blair said when asked if he ever imagined something like this would happen.
“I’m just a person trying to do a job, trying to survive, and the way people give their own money. I have a hard time working to pay bills, so other people probably have the same problems. When they’re giving money they really can’t spare, that amazes me. I’m just blown away.”
Thackeray said the generosity extended far beyond the United States.
“I was speechless because I felt like the world showed up, and I think in these times we need people like that.” She said.
“I’ve been speaking to people all over the world, and they’re just, ‘Tell James hi!’ Give him a hug for us!” she said.
Blair also reflected on how deeply the experience has affected him personally.
“I believed in God, but I didn’t really believe in God. But now, with the angel sitting next to you, it’s amazing,” Blair told Thackeray. “I can’t believe how God works in mysterious ways.”
Although Blair is still going to work, he recently used some of the funds to buy himself a bed. He continues to care for his mother.
“I mean, I don’t know what Salt Lake City living is now, but California is really expensive,” Blair said.
What began as a brief glance through an airplane window has grown into an unlikely friendship — and a powerful reminder that a single act of kindness can inspire thousands of people to make a difference.
“I’m so happy for him and that he gets to experience this,” Thackeray said.
“I told him, I’m just a little part of your story, I’m happy that I could do that, but I hope you can always remember the ones that showed up and donated.”
To date, nearly 6,000 people have donated to the fundraiser. It has raised $180,521.00 for Blair.
Thackeray’s TikTok video of Blair has been viewed more than 9 million times, garnering nearly 800,000 likes and 8,000 comments.
For more information about the fundraiser, visit: https://gofund.me/51f1c9e16
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
Not only the Utah that we are today, but the Utah that we can choose to become.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Gabriel Meneses makes one of the limited edition flags for the United States 250th anniversary at Colonial Flag in Sandy on Monday, June 1, 2026.
President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order on Monday afternoon shrinking the size of two national monuments in Utah, which currently cover a combined 5,094 square miles, the Deseret News confirmed on background with a Utah source.
The two national monuments — Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears — have oscillated in size through the previous several presidential administrations.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was created by President Bill Clinton in September 1996. Bears Ears National Monument was created by President Barack Obama in December 2016. Both designations received a mixed reception among Utahns.
In 2017, Trump reduced Bears Ears by about 85% and Grand Staircase by about 46%.
Then when former President Joe Biden took office in 2021, he restored them to their original sizes.
Trump is expected to sign the executive orders in the Oval Office on Monday at 4:30 EST.
In a statement to the Deseret News on Friday, the White House said, “Any policy announcement will come directly from the President. This reporting about potential executive orders is pure speculation.”
National monument designations place restrictions on what recreational and economic activity residents and visitors can do on the land. The designation also prohibits anyone from pursuing new mining claims, oil and gas leasing, coal exploration or new commercial infrastructure projects.
However, the Bureau of Land Management previously found that Bears Ears and Grand Staircase have little to offer in terms of oil and gas potential, the Deseret News previously reported.
For nearly three decades since Clinton designated the first monument, Utah’s federal delegation has asked for reductions in land size for more local control, recreation and grazing.
Recently, Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy challenged the monument’s resource management plan to return to a plan the first Trump administration outlined in 2020 with help from local Utahns.
However, her bill died after missing a key deadline to make it to the Senate for a vote.
People react to the potential land reduction
Based on an initial report by ABC4, environmental groups are already vocalizing their disapproval over a potential reduction of monument land.
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Executive Director Scott Braden described the potential executive order as “unlawful, unwise and unacceptable,” in a press release sent to the Deseret News.
“This action will only bring uncertainty and chaos to places that should instead be protected for their rich biodiversity, unique geology, and remarkable cultural values,” he wrote. Braden said SUWA was preparing to fight the executive order through lawsuits or by lobbying in Congress.
On X, former Utah state Sen. Nate Blouin referenced the land reduction in conjunction with the Babylon Fire, which as of Friday is 25% contained and has covered more than 100,000 acres in southeastern Utah.
“As the largest wildfire in the U.S. burns pristine landscapes in southeastern Utah, Trump is threatening to shrink both Grand Staircase & Bears Ears National Monuments,” Blouin wrote. “This unprecedented move is happening without input from the region’s ancestral inhabitants.
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