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Utah restaurant workers spot federally-protected egg-bearing lobster, work quickly to save her

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Utah restaurant workers spot federally-protected egg-bearing lobster, work quickly to save her


LAYTON Staff members at Red Lobster are being praised for their sustainable efforts after noticing something out of the ordinary. 

On Tuesday, Supervisor Dean Adams noticed one crustacean in the new shipment the restaurant received looked odd. Based on it’s posture in the restaurant’s tank, he thought it may have died. 

“They curl their tail in and then the lobster goes up and the claws are just in the water, like above the water,” Adams said. 

He and a manager plucked it out of the water to inspect it. 

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“We went to open the shell to see what was going on, and some of the eggs fell into the tank,” Adams said. “That’s when we realized it was a female.” 

An egg-bearing female was mistakenly sent to the restaurant. 

“I was surprised because we’re not supposed to get any females,” Adams said. 

He and his co-worker contacted Nikki Smith, the restaurant’s general manager. Smith, who’s worked for the company for 25 years, said she’s never seen or heard of a situation quite like this, but she faintly remembered a policy and protocol.  

“I had in my mind like, ‘Hey, we’re supposed to send it back, we’re supposed to get it back to the ocean if she has eggs on the outside of her tail,’” she said.

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A Red Lobster employee pulls lobster out of the water on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (Shelby Lofton, KSL TV)

Lobster going back to ocean 

Smith called some people from corporate. She heard back from Ready Seafood, which supplies Maine lobsters to Red Lobster. 

“He thought it was really cool…my manager and Dean had actually seen the eggs expunged, like actively going from inside to outside,” Smith said. “They said, ‘We’ll pick it up tomorrow, we’ll have her back by Thursday and in the ocean by Friday.’” 

Team members worked delicately to separate the female lobster from the rest and save as many eggs as possible. 

“We got some wet cardboard, some ice packs, packed her up, put some paper towels on top of her to keep her cool, and FedEx came and picked her up and took her back,” Smith said. 

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Smith received a video from a lobsterman with Ready Seafood showing the lobster being released back into the waters of Maine. 

“Whirlwind trip for her. Maine to Utah to Maine in four days,” Smith said. 

Protected for life

The lobster got a V-notch to mark that she’s a breeder. The conservation technique protects her for life. 

Thousands of her eggs went back into the water with her. The lobsterman known as Captain Curt showed her being released into a “safe spot” in deep waters in the video. 

“I’m sure not all 10,000 lobsters make it, but even if just a few do, it’s a great way to take part in being sustainable,” Smith said. 

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Back in the water, this lobster can continue the reproduction cycle. 

“I’m very proud of my team for having the instinct to say, ‘Hey, let’s do something about this,’” Smith said. 

Instead of ignoring it, they took action. 

“I think she must have known that they would take care of her. So, they really were good about making sure she was taken care of, checking in on her,” Smith said. “It was like she’d become just a part of the family.” 

It became a lesson in conservation over the dining table. 

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“They did a good job and it was awesome to see her get back to Maine,” Smith said. 

Now that the female lobster has a notch in her tail, she’s illegal to keep, even when she releases her eggs. 



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Utah

Penalties to be enforced if Trump’s face covered on national park passes, reports say

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Penalties to be enforced if Trump’s face covered on national park passes, reports say


SALT LAKE CITY — Those using a new national park pass who want to enjoy Utah’s “Mighty Five” better do so with President Donald Trump’s face perfectly intact, or you might pay a literal price.

The new annual park passes, which debuted on Jan. 1, feature Trump’s image alongside that of George Washington. At the same time as the release, the Department of the Interior reportedly updated its rules to ensure Trump’s face remains free and clear.

According to the Washington Post, the updated “Void if Altered” policy prohibits anyone from defacing the pass or covering up any images or information on the cards. Visitors found by rangers to have altered a pass by any means will be ordered to return it to its original condition or possibly be charged a regular entrance fee.

SFGate reported the policy originally prohibited any alteration of the signature portion of the pass, with the updated policy including the front of the card, with a warning that “writing on it or adding stickers or other coverings” is no longer allowed.

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Many believe the updated policy is in direct response to the large pushback over the inclusion of Trump, leaving people to share creative ways to hide the president’s image from passes, including stickers and sleeves.

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Along with the suggestions on how to hide Trump’s image, a nonprofit environmental group has filed a lawsuit claiming its design did not comply with legislation that requires public participation in the selection.





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Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah

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Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah


Two people were killed, and at least six were wounded when gunfire erupted outside a funeral at a Mormon church in Utah on Wednesday night, according to authorities and reports.

Eight people were hit by gunfire when shots rang out outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Redwood Road in Salt Lake City around 7:30 p.m., Salt Lake City Police Department spokesperson Glen Mills told the Salt Lake City Tribune.

Two people were killed, and six people were injured in the shooting that occurred outside in the church’s parking lot as dozens were attending a funeral service inside.

Of the six wounded, three individuals are in critical condition, the Salt Lake City Police Department posted on X. All of the victims were adults.

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Police stand outside the Salt Lake City church where at least eight people were shot, including two fatally on Jan. 7, 2026. AP
People hug outside the church after the shooting in Salt Lake City, Utah. AP

There were no suspects in custody as of late Wednesday night, and it is not immediately clear if there were multiple gunmen involved. A motive was also unknown.

However, police said they have obtained solid leads in the investigation and are working to locate individuals involved in the shooting.

“We believe this was not a random incident,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd told reporters. 

The shooting was not believed to be targeting a religion, Redd clarified. 

Roughly 100 law enforcement vehicles swarmed the area in the aftermath of the gunfire as helicopters flew overhead. 

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The area around the Mormon church remained closed into the evening as authorities urged the public to stay clear of the still active scene.

Funeral attendees walk out of the meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Jan. 7, 2026. AP

“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall.

The Salt Lake City Police Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The incident remains under investigation.

With Post wires.

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Kevin Love Admits He Didn’t See Jazz Trade Coming

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Kevin Love Admits He Didn’t See Jazz Trade Coming


The Utah Jazz’s experiment to bring in 18-year league veteran Kevin Love thus far into the 2025-26 campaign has been a pretty solid success in the first two-plus months of the season.

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Love has been a positive voice in the locker room as the most tenured NBA veteran on the roster, he’s been vocal about enjoying his time and role with the organization, and for his time on the floor throughout the first 30 or so games of the regular season, he’s nestled into a consistent rotational player as the Jazz’s backup center as Walker Kessler has been out with a shoulder injury.

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But when he first arrived in Utah via a three-team trade from the Miami Heat, packed within the deal that sent John Collins to the LA Clippers, Love didn’t quite know what to expect out of his experience; he didn’t even anticipate being traded to the Jazz in the first place.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I got here, but I’ve been very pleasantly surprised from everything, from ownership, and Ryan Smith to the front office to the coaching staff, players all the way through,” Love said of the Jazz on The Old Man and the Three. “It’s been a blessing in my 18th year to be a part of this team and some place, I mean, you never know where you’re going to end up.”

“I did not expect to be traded but as far as a landing spot goes and just saying, yeah, so many people are saying ‘Oh what if it doesn’t work out? What if it doesn’t work out?’ I’m like ‘What if it does?’, right?And I think just adding value whether I’m playing or not is something that’s given me a lot of happiness and a lot of joy this late in my career. And I think that has allowed me to see a lot of the good and what this team has been able to bring and move forward.”

Kevin Love Settling in Nicely With Utah Jazz

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Love’s value stretches both on and off the floor for the Jazz, which makes sense for why the veteran big man has been loving his time since being on the roster. The 2016 NBA champion was vocal before the season about his desire to be a value add for wherever that may be, including Utah, and he’s been able to carve out just the right role for himself at this point in his career. 

During his 20 games played for the Jazz this season, Love has averaged 7.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and shooting 41.1% from the field in just over 17 minutes a night when he plays, and has proven he can still be a guy worthy of a few minutes down the rotation to fill out an NBA frontcourt, as he has for the year in Utah so far.

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Dec 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Caleb Martin (left) speaks with Utah Jazz forward Kevin Love (right) before the game at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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It remains to be seen just how long Love’s time in Utah will last. There’s not even a guarantee that the 37-year-old will finish the regular season on the roster, depending on how the next few weeks transpire around the trade deadline and as the buyout market begins to gain some traction. But, for the time that he is in Salt Lake City, he’s made it into a nice home for what’s now the fourth roster he’s been on through nearly two decades in the league.

Be sure to bookmark Utah Jazz On SI and follow @JazzOnSI on X to stay up-to-date on daily Utah Jazz news, interviews, breakdowns and more!



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