KDXU Sunrise Stories for February 16, 2024: Faulty Junction Box Causes House Fire in Hurricane

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 154

Statewide News – 02/16/24

State Declines to Impeach Controversial School Board Member

After a string of controversies, The Utah House of Representatives has declined to impeach Natalie Cline, a member of the Utah School Board who falsely accused a high school girl of being transgender.

Despite the lack of impeachment, Cline won’t walk away unpunished. The Utah State Board of Education formally censured her in various official capacities.

The Utah House of Representatives condemned Cline’s actions on February 15 through a filed resolution. Utah Governor Spencer Cox called Cline’s behavior a “repugnant attack.”

Ten Commandments Bill Introduced in Utah Legislature

A proposed bill in the Utah Legislature would require teaching the Ten Commandments as part of U.S. History.

GOP Representative Logan Petersen said the commandments were used as inspiration for important national documents like the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Despite the inspiration, neither document gives mention of a Judeo-Christian God.

If passed, the bill would also require the teaching of the Magna Carta, a document from 1215 that states the king of England, and the government are not above the law and was also an inspiration behind the U.S. Constitution.

Gas Prices Rise Across the State

According to this morning’s AAA gas report, the current average price for a gallon of unleaded in Washington County is about $3.01, which is a significant increase compared to February 9 and it’s not just Washington County.

While Iron County still has the cheapest gas in the state, the average price is about $2.84 per gallon, more than ten cents higher than last week.

Expect gas prices to rise as we inch closer to Spring with gas manufacturers moving away from the cheaper Winter blend of fuel.

Southern Utah/St. George News – 02/16/24

Faulty Junction Box Causes Structure Fire in Hurricane

Emergency workers with Hurricane Valley Fire & Rescue responded to reports of a structure fire on the morning of February 15 with the homeowner reporting smoke coming from the attic of the house.

Fire workers were able to extinguish the flames that reportedly started from a malfunctioning junction box connected to a heating unit.

Fortunately, the fire didn’t spread to the rest of the home and no injuries were reported over the course of the incident.

Parade of Homes Signals Heavy Traffic for Southern Utah

Today marks the beginning of the 2024 Parade of Homes in Southern Utah, which also means you can expect some heavy traffic until the event ends on February 25.

Public Information Officer Tiffany Mitchell from the St. George Police Department said residents need to get used to heavy traffic in Washington County regardless of the Parade of Homes.

Officer Mitchell advised residents to leave earlier than usual to reach their destination on time, and to be prepared for longer stops at traffic signals.

Updates from Dixie Regional Transportation Expo

The Dixie Regional Transportation Expo on February 13 provided updates to various projects in Southern Utah.

The bridge on George Washington Boulevard will be completed in August with the final two phases of construction being combined to make it on time.

A SunTran route from St. George to the gateway to Zion National Park is also making progress and is expected to begin in Summer 2024

Other

Fun fact about Stockton Myers, the writer of Sunrise Stories.

Stockton’s favorite type of cake is yellow cake. This doesn’t mean he dislikes chocolate cake, but he loves the way yellow cake melds with chocolate frosting. Stockton recently made a yellow cake and added pieces of toffee to the batter. Best decision for his taste buds, but the worst decision for his diet.

Happy Weekend!