Utah
Utah State Legislature taking action to stop gang violence
![Utah State Legislature taking action to stop gang violence Utah State Legislature taking action to stop gang violence](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d978a36/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x672+0+24/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx-default-stgec.uplynk.com%2Fause%2Fslices%2F42c%2Fef205c0e5ea14d77944cbd6904335118%2F42cef15a18ba4c18971a835f751119ca%2Fposter_9fd7f92bf12a45f2af08528b61b7eb71.jpg)
SALT LAKE COUNTY — From one shooting in downtown Salt Lake City on Aug. 10 to another at the Mt. Olympus trailhead on Aug. 3, there have been several gang-related incidents across Salt Lake County recently. Much of it is being carried out by minors, according to Sheriff Rosie Rivera.
“It’s an everyday thing that we’re dealing with nonstop,” Rivera said. “We’re dealing with a lot of juveniles who are being recruited by adults.”
During a Utah House subcommittee meeting Monday morning, Rep. Ryan Wilcox discussed a new bill that would hold these adults accountable.
“We all make bad choices, especially when we’re children, when we’re kids, and trying to go through that part of life, and in order to gain acceptance, either into an organization or frankly, just to make friends, sometimes kids are really susceptible to these suggestions and sometimes direct orders by people that they look up to,” he said.
The rise in gang violence, as well as more sophisticated crimes like theft rings, is something that Rivera believes all Utahns should be concerned about.
“We all live here, but none of us can predict when that’s going to come to our door or when it’s going to come to our car in the parking lot or our business,” he said.
Sheriff Rivera hopes this bill will keep more kids out of trouble and make our communities safer.
“We can start saying that people are being held accountable for recruiting these young kids into gang violence, and now they’re being held accountable, maybe that will prevent some of these kids from falling into that recruitment area,” she said.
Wilcox plans to introduce this bill during the 2025 legislative session.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Utah
A Utah athlete’s arrest, a coach’s firing, and the strict rules for reporting student misconduct
![A Utah athlete’s arrest, a coach’s firing, and the strict rules for reporting student misconduct A Utah athlete’s arrest, a coach’s firing, and the strict rules for reporting student misconduct](https://ksltv.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Picture1-1024x589.png)
SALT LAKE CITY – The screaming started late at night.
A neighbor looked outside her North Logan home in April 2023, expecting to possibly see college students playing in the snow.
But in a statement to police, that witness described a much different scene: a woman crying and yelling “get off me” and “you’re choking me,” and a man on top of her, holding her down on the ground.
Officers arrested the man, who was a Utah State University athlete, in a case that went on to have profound impact on the Logan campus.
The university fired the head football coach and two other employees in July over how they responded, a wave of severe consequences that came as the school has tried to improve and distance itself from a history of failing to respond properly when male students assault women.
Utah State’s policies require coaches to report sexual misconduct, including relationship violence and sexual assault, to the school. Under federal law, they must then step back. But the school says those things didn’t happen.
Citing an outside review, the university contends former head coach Blake Anderson didn’t report what he knew directly to the school’s Title IX office. Anderson also “took it upon himself to investigate” and sought out “witness statements supporting the player’s defense” from the victim and a roommate, according to a university letter of intent to terminate his employment.
Anderson doesn’t dispute that he gathered evidence, or that he relied on an administrator to file the report. But he denies any wrongdoing, has insisted he “handled this matter by the book,” and said he plans to sue the school over its decision. His attorneys alleged in a statement last week that university administrators “have unfortunately chosen to lead what is essentially a public smear campaign” against the coach.
Do’s and don’ts of reporting misconduct
Title IX, the federal law barring sex-based discrimination in schools, requires universities to be impartial in their investigations of student relationship violence or sexual assault, said W. Scott Lewis, a partner with TNG Consulting who trains college administrators and athletic officers in Title IX compliance.
But when it comes to their players, coaches have a clear conflict, Lewis said.
“In some cases, in recruiting, they stood in the living room and told the parent they would treat them like their own child,” he said. “So, it’d be like a parent trying to investigate their own kid. You just don’t do it.”
Lewis, a co-founder of the Association of Title IX Administrators, said it’s appropriate for them to talk to their athletes to try to be supportive, but it’s improper for them to reach out to witnesses.
If they do, they can make schools vulnerable to lawsuits or sanctions from the U.S. Department of Education, Lewis said. They can also cause further damage to those who’ve been through traumatic experiences.
“When you start asking a lot of questions, you can actually be doing harm,” Lewis said. “Just yet another reason you shouldn’t be doing it.”
Anderson’s attorney Aubri Thomas told KSL that Anderson was trying to figure out what happened so he could meet his own obligation to promptly discipline the athlete if needed.
“Broadly speaking, our position is that he abided by all the requirements of his contract, and by the industry standards and by what every football coach in the industry is typically trained to do,” Thomas said.
The university says Anderson and football staff had multiple trainings on their reporting requirements before this happened, along with regular meetings with its Title IX office.
Outside of Utah, other college coaches and athletic departments have also been accused of sidestepping the official process for handling reports of player misconduct.
Michigan State University basketball coach Tom Izzo got in touch with a witness about an allegation of sexual assault before police did, as reported in 2020 by ESPN.
The same year, USA Today revealed Louisiana State University’s athletic department kept reports of sexual assault to itself. LSU has since settled a lawsuit with 10 women who said the university mishandled their cases. And last year a jury in Texas found Baylor University liable for failing to protect a student after she reported that a football player assaulted her several times. A review commissioned by the university found the football team had its own disciplinary system reinforcing “the perception that rules applicable to other students are not applicable to football players.”
A case in court and fallout on campus
In body camera video from April 2023, North Park police officers can be seen asking a woman about red marks on her neck, talking about how they thought she was grabbed and pulled by her hoodie, and retrieving a survey used to assess a victim’s risk of being killed in domestic violence.
Former Utah State starting defensive back Ajani Carter transferred schools and pleaded no contest in Logan’s First District Court to a misdemeanor charge of assault as part of a plea in abeyance agreement.
Court records indicate the case will be dismissed altogether in November if he meets the conditions of the agreement: completing an anger management course and paying a $690 fee.
The former Aggie declined comment for this story through Pitcher Law, the firm representing him.
To evaluate the coach’s and athletic department’s response, the university commissioned an investigation from Kansas City-based law firm Husch Blackwell. The review cost $137,000, according to copies of invoices provided by the university.
Like Anderson, former deputy athletic director Jerry Bovee has maintained he did not do anything wrong in how he responded. Bovee’s now in a formal review process contesting his termination and told KSL in a statement he believes the school will reverse course.
“I trust that once the truth comes out, my alma mater and the institution I love will reverse and correct this decision – a decision that appears to be driven by the agenda of a few administrators, but is not to the benefit of the university as a whole,” Bovee said in a statement to KSL.
He said he’s been dedicated throughout his career to “promoting the values and intent of Title IX, including supporting and promoting female athletes and preventing and reporting any misconduct.”
The school also fired Austin Albrecht, the football team’s director of player development and community, saying he did not comply with its policy for reporting sexual misconduct.
Albrecht said in a statement to KSL that he is “deeply disappointed and saddened by the recent decisions made by Utah State University.”
A campus under a microscope
Those decisions came at a time when the school was still under federal scrutiny for mishandling reports of sexual harassment and assault under Title IX.
Utah State entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to improve its response after the release of a damning DOJ report in 2020 documenting widespread failures. The report states “it was common for the university to close incident files involving the football team after only minimal investigation.”
That history is top of mind for Utah State athletic director Diana Sabau.
“The DOJ has lived on campus since 2020 due to football,” Sabau told KSL. “We have to be better.”
Sabau started the job as the school’s top sports administrator after the player’s arrest and the coach’s response came to light. She and the university president made the decision to clean house.
“Our coaches should and do know what to do,” Sabau told KSL. “Sometimes good people make bad decisions. But we have to be held accountable.”
Anderson previously faced criticism in 2021 for telling his players while talking about sexual assault that “it’s never been more glamorized to be a victim.”
The coach later apologized after an audio recording of his comments surfaced, saying he regretted the words he used.
The recording was part of a student’s lawsuit alleging the school did not respond properly to her report of being raped by a football player. Kaytri Flint later reached a $500,000 settlement with the university.
DOJ’s monitoring of the school continues through May 2025.
“We are carefully monitoring the ongoing settlement with USU, which covers all of USU’s programs and activities, including the athletics department,” a DOJ spokesperson told KSL.
The federal agency did not answer a list of questions about its presence on campus and the impact of the case at the center of the three firings.
Lewis said scenarios like Utah State’s – with multiple employees losing their jobs – are increasingly common.
“Schools are taking this more seriously in a way they hadn’t 25 years ago,” Lewis said. In the past, he said, “it was accepted, it was tolerated. Far less so now than before.”
Have you experienced something you think just isn’t right? The KSL investigators want to help. Submit your tip at investigates@ksl.com or 385-707-6153 so we can get working for you.
Additional resources:
If you or someone you know is going through abuse, help is available.
If you have experienced sexual violence, you can access help and resources by calling Utah’s 24-hour Sexual Violence Help Line at 1-801-736-4356 (English) or 1-801-924-0860 (Spanish). You can also call the Rape Recovery Center office line during office hours at 801-467-7282 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for free, confidential counseling.
Utah
First human case of West Nile Virus confirmed in Utah County
![First human case of West Nile Virus confirmed in Utah County First human case of West Nile Virus confirmed in Utah County](https://ksltv.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mosquitoes_Health_and_Climate_06056-scaled-e1724691813685.jpg)
PROVO — The first case of the West Nile Virus in humans was confirmed positive in Utah County Monday, according to the Utah County Health Department.
The virus was first tested for and found in mosquitoes in Utah County in July. Concern was raised as more mosquitoes in Davis County tested positive for the virus, but there were no confirmed cases of the virus in humans until Monday.
The department said the patient who tested positive is a Utah County woman, but it wouldn’t be releasing her identity to protect her privacy.
“People should take extra caution when enjoying outdoor activities,” the department said.
Further, it suggested following a few steps to prevent mosquitoes from biting:
- Drain or treat all standing water around homes or workplaces so mosquitoes do not lay eggs
- Limit time outdoors during dawn and dusk as it is the time of day mosquitoes are the most active
- Use insect repellent that contains diethyltoluamide or use other EPA-approved repellent
- Wear long, loose and light-colored clothing when outdoors
- Ensure door and window screens are sealed properly and in good working condition
The health department warned that severe cases can cause neurologic complications such as encephalitis. Milder symptoms include fever, headache and muscle aches. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus.
This is a breaking news story. It may be updated.
Utah
Three hurdles Utah governor’s Democratic challenger will need to overcome to pose a threat – Washington Examiner
![Three hurdles Utah governor’s Democratic challenger will need to overcome to pose a threat – Washington Examiner Three hurdles Utah governor’s Democratic challenger will need to overcome to pose a threat – Washington Examiner](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/King.-.webp)
Rep. Brian King (D-UT) is looking to overcome critical challenges in his battle to unseat Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) this November.
Utah is a red state where Republican voters outnumber Democrats by over a 3-to-1 margin. The last time a Democratic presidential candidate won the state was in 1964, when Lyndon Johnson secured a landslide victory over Barry Goldwater. Utah’s last Democratic governor was Scott Milne Matheson Jr., who served until 1985.
During a recent interview with the Deseret News, King, who has served as a Democratic lawmaker in the state since 2010, said he sees cracks in the Republican coalition that could galvanize a surprise victory over Cox this November.
“How do you win the election? Well, one of the ways is we appeal to folks who are disillusioned and disenchanted with today’s Republican Party,” King said.
Overcoming Republican majorities
King thinks he has a shot at drawing a large number of independent voters in the state into his camp. There are 482,145 registered unaffiliated voters in Utah, double the number of 232,466 registered Democrats.
However, the number of unaffiliated voters, though significant, has been trending down in the state in recent years. The voting bloc made up 509,374 registered voters in Utah in 2020, signaling that the move toward political independence, though solid, might not be as vibrant as King needs to make up for Utah’s solid Republican majority.
King is also working to win over disgruntled Republicans who supported former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley over former President Donald Trump during the state’s presidential primary. After she lost the primary election to Trump, King’s campaign told Haley voters, ”Consider this a formal invitation to join us in this movement. You will be welcomed with open arms.”
Intraparty turmoil among Republicans in the state has given King another golden opportunity to speak to voters tired of partisan bickering among their own.
The Utah GOP has been embroiled in multiple conflicts this year. Colby Jenkins mounted a challenge to Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) and shocked the establishment by coming within inches of toppling the incumbent Republican. A recount and lawsuit to the state’s highest court ended in a razor-thin loss for Jenkins. He was 176 votes short of winning his primary, and Jenkins’s concerns over state election laws that allowed over a thousand ballots to be disqualified from being counted led him to declare the Utah Supreme Court’s ruling “undermines fundamental voting rights and sets a troubling precedent for future elections.”
Meanwhile, a gubernatorial challenge against Cox from a Republican colleague has set off shock waves within the state’s GOP. Rep. Phil Lyman (R-UT) won over 60% of delegate support during the GOP’s state nominating convention earlier this year. While Cox became his party’s gubernatorial nominee by winning the state’s primary, Lyman alleged party rules garnered him the win and launched a lawsuit against Cox in the Utah Supreme Court. Since losing his battle in court, the representative has gone to make a bid against Cox that is unaffiliated with the GOP and has been condemned by party leaders.
King has been strategic in building bridges with the Lyman camp, taking help wherever he can get it to win in a Republican-dominated state.
“I’ve never talked less about political party than I have in this election,” King said after Lyman suggested Republicans would be better off voting for the Democrat than supporting another Cox term. “We are building a coalition of pragmatists in this campaign.”
The two even teamed up last week in a joint campaign ad to tell voters there is one thing they agree on: “Spencer Cox should not be our next governor,” the pair said in unison.
The partnership ruffled feathers in the state’s establishment GOP, which warned, “We condemn Phil Lyman’s endorsement and promotion of Brian King, which will only benefit Democrat candidates whose extreme policies are out of step with Utahns.”
“Not-so-clever clickbait videos attempting to divide Republicans against each other only serve to remind us what is at stake,” Utah GOP Chairman Rob Axson continued in a post to X. “Utahns must not fall for it.”
Although King has seized on the GOP bickering, it is unlikely to fuel the momentum he needs to blow over Cox, who enjoys high favorability ratings among Utahns. The incumbent governor won the election by nearly 33 percentage points in 2020. Cox now enjoys the trappings of power that he can use to his advantage. He has had four years to build rapport with voters and donor support, while his high-profile status as governor gives him automatic access to the press.
Even King admitted he faces a “David versus Goliath kind of a situation.”
Matching centrist rhetoric with centrist policies
Moreover, King has indicated he is not willing to compromise on leftist positions many Utah conservatives might find distasteful, even if they are dissatisfied with the status quo of Republican politics.
King’s rhetoric is centrist. “Political balance is incredibly important,” he said. “If you have one party controlling both the executive and the legislative branches for 40 years … you’re going to not have the best results in terms of policies and priorities and a vision that takes into account all the perspectives and all the diversity of the state of Utah.”
His talking points are important in a state that prides itself on centrist politics.
Although Utah is firmly within the GOP’s grasp, top Republicans in the state are centrist-leaning. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) has remained fiercely critical of former President Donald Trump, the most high-profile Republican in the nation. Meanwhile, Cox has maintained a bipartisan rhetoric and, as chairman of the National Governors Association, launched a “Disagree Better” campaign aimed at reducing polarization in politics. Cox also declined to endorse Trump’s bid for reelection until late July.
But though King’s words convey the bipartisan mood Utahns might support, his policy positions could push his chances of booting Cox out of office further out of reach. The Democrat supports a legal right to abortion up to the point of viability, or around 24 weeks, when the baby is able to survive outside the womb.
Recent surveys indicate a majority or near majority of Utahns hold a more centrist position on the matter.
Nearly half of Utahns said abortion should only be legal in cases of rape, incest, and threats to mothers’ health in 2022. Over 50% of Utah registered voters favored a ban on elective abortions and endorsed allowing them only under limited circumstances in another survey.
King’s unwillingness to shift to the center on issues such as abortion could cost him votes in a state that bleeds red.
Reaching the Mormon voting bloc
King has made his Mormon faith a pillar of his campaign for governor, a strategic move in a state that holds the highest concentration of Latter-day Saints in the country.
“I’m a Democrat because of my faith, not despite it,” a post pinned to the top of his X platform states.
However, the Mormon church appears to be on the decline in the state. In 2020, over 60% of Utahns subscribed to the Latter-day Saints community. Three years later, that number dropped to 42%.
Additionally, Mormons heavily lean Republican. Seventy-seven percent described themselves as part of the GOP, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center.
Nationwide, support in the Latter-day Saints community for top Democrats appears to be dropping. A recent poll showed that in 2023, 1 in 5 Mormons approved of President Joe Biden, down from nearly a third of support in 2021.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Democratic representative is headed to a debate with Cox on Sept. 11.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the King and Cox campaigns for comment.
-
Minnesota1 week ago
Readers and writers: Plenty of thrills and danger in these Minnesota author’s mysteries
-
Technology5 days ago
Breakthrough robo-glove gives you superhuman grip
-
News1 week ago
Video: Biden Delivers Keynote on First Night of D.N.C.
-
World1 week ago
Nigeria police working to secure release of 20 kidnapped medical students
-
Politics1 week ago
Former teacher reveals which students suffered 'the most' under Walz's pandemic-era guidelines
-
News1 week ago
Video: Protesters Clash With Police Near the Democratic National Convention
-
Politics1 week ago
As DNC approaches, party remains at impasse with with anti-Israel 'uncommitted' movement
-
Politics1 week ago
Dem strategists say Harris needs to ensure she's 'striking the right balance' at DNC, seize on 'momentum'