Utah
Utah Jazz List Two Starters on Injury Report vs Miami Heat
The Utah Jazz could be without a pair of starters in their frontcourt for their upcoming matchup against the Miami Heat.
Here’s the full injury outlook for both the Jazz and Heat rolling into the matchup:
Utah Jazz Injury Report
OUT – G Elijah Harkless (G League)
OUT – C Walker Kessler (left shoulder; injury recovery)
OUT – C Kevin Love (left knee contusion)
OUT – F Georges Niang (left foot; fourth metatarsal stress reaction)
OUT – F John Tonje (G League)
OUT – C Oscar Tshiebwe (G League)
DOUBTFUL – C Jusuf Nurkic (illness)
OUT* – F Lauri Markkanen (return to competition reconditioning)
UPDATE: Lauri Markkanen has officially been downgraded from QUESTIONABLE to OUT vs. the Heat.
The two starters up in the air for the Jazz against Miami are their pairing of Markkanen and Nurkic, with Markkanen questionable to finally return from his extended injury/conditioning absence, while Nurkic is doubtful to play with an illness.
Markkanen has been out for the past six games of the Jazz’s season, mostly due to a lingering illness that reports seem to indicate is a genuine sickness, rather than simply a way to keep their star forward out due to big-picture tanking reasons.
If able to return to the lineup, Markkanen obviously becomes a huge addition offensively as a welcomed helping hand for third-year guard Keyonte George. In Markkanen’s 33 games this season, he’s averaged an impressive 27.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 48.3% from the field and 36.5% from three.
However, it seems as if that illness taking course around the locker room has now struck Nurkic as its latest victim, and could leave the Jazz without their typical starting center, who comes off an impressive two-game slate with back-to-back triple-doubles, being the only player in Utah’s history to have back-to-back triple-doubles since Pete Maravich in 1975.
In the event the Jazz are indeed without Nurkic in the middle, that’ll leave them without their starter and backup at the five, as Kevin Love remains inactive due to rest and will require head coach Will Hardy to get a bit more creative on how he wants to roll out his frontcourt. Expect Kyle Filipowski to be the potential starter in place of Nurkic if downgraded to out.
The Jazz will also be without their three two-way signees per usual, but if Nurkic is indeed downgraded, it might not be too shocking to see Oscar Tshiebwe elevated before game time in order to provide Utah with some extra frontcourt depth and some rebounding upside, if necessary.
Miami Heat Injury Report
QUESTIONABLE – G Norman Powell (back)
QUESTIONABLE – G Davion Mitchell (shoulder)
OUT – C Kel’el Ware (hamstring)
PROBABLE – G Pelle Larsson (finger)
For the Heat, a few names of note are in the mix, headlined by Norman Powell, who’s slated as questionable with a back injury, as is Davion Mitchell with a shoulder injury––both big pieces of Miami’s game plan offensively and defensively, respectively, and remain names to keep watch of before tip-off.
The Heat will also be without second-year center Kel’el Ware, who hasn’t played since January 19th with a hamstring injury, and could leave the task a bit easier for the Jazz while they’re likely without two big men of their own in Nurkic and Love.
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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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