KDXU Sunrise Stories for February 9, 2024: Utah Education Board Member Falsely Accused Student of Being Transgender

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 149 

Statewide News – 02/09/24 

Residents Call for Impeachment of Utah Education Board Member 

Natalie Cline, a member of the Utah Education Board, is facing criticism after posting a now-deleted accusation of a high school girl being transgender. 

Cline has a history of posting controversial statements through her Facebook account, earning the disdain of many concerned residents. Over 180 complaints have been issued to the board in response to Cline’s accusation. 

Utah Governor Cox and Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson released a joint statement condemning Cline’s actions and said she embarrassed the state. The accusation against the high school girl warranted a police escort for the student due to the number of threats being made against her. 

Hogle Zoo Lion Predicts Super Bowl Winner 

A long-running tradition continues with Vulcan, a lion living at Salt Lake City’s Hogle Zoo who predicts the winner of every year’s Super Bowl. 

Two miniature goal posts with food are placed at an equal distance apart in Vulcan’s enclosure and whichever one the feline eats from will be the winner on game day. At least, that’s what the tradition entails. 

According to Vulcan, the Kansas City Chiefs will win Super Bowl LVIII. Not only did the lion eat from the Chief’s goalpost, but he also knocked over the goalpost belonging to the San Francisco 49ers. If it’s any consolation, Vulcan has only correctly predicted the winner in 2015 and 2022.  

Southern Utah/St. George News – 02/09/24 

28 Utah Tech Students to Assist with Super Bowl 

28 recreation and sports management students from Utah Tech University are being paid to help the NFL with Sunday’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas. 

These students will assist by guiding fans to pre-game parties, ushering, wayfinding, and provide concierge services.  

Each student will have the chance to network with every NFL executive attending the event.  

Iron County Now Place to Go for Cheap Gas in Utah 

According to this morning’s AAA gas report, Iron County is now the cheapest place to go for gas in Utah. 

Iron County’s average price for a gallon of unleaded is about $2.68, taking the title for cheapest gas from Box Elder County which now has an average of about $2.71 per gallon. 

Washington County still has quite the price difference with Iron County with an average of $2.94 per gallon. That’s a difference of about $0.26 and continues the trend of price fluctuation between counties in Utah. 

Dixie Regional Transportation Expo Coming to St. George 

The Dixie Regional Transportation Expo is scheduled to take place on the same day and in the same location as the State of the City Address in St. George. 

The Utah Department of Transportation will offer their Truck Smart activity to attendees, which shows what visibility is like when driving a semi-truck. 

Updates on various projects relating to transportation in Southern Utah will also be provided such as the possible freeway ramp on 700 S. in St. George. The Dixie Regional Transportation Expo will open at 10 a.m. on February 13 at the Dixie Convention Center and will close at 6 p.m. on the same day. 

Southern Utah Thrill Seeker Retiring in St. George 

Bo Beck, a man known for participating in adrenaline-pumping activities in Southern Utah, is retiring after living his career to the fullest. 

The manager of The Desert Rat is also an author and former military member who’s excited to spend the rest of his days with his wife. 

Some highlights of Beck’s career include sailing from Hong Kong to Rio, Training the Zion National Park high-angle rescue team, and a whole lot of river rafting. Beck co-founded The Desert Rat with Jason Hurst where they’ve been selling camping, hiking, and climbing gear since 2009.  

Other 

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

Stockton hates camping. When he was a Boy Scout, he was required to get the camping merit badge which required over 20 nights of camping. Stockton can’t stand the rigorous hiking and overwhelming smell of campfire smoke, but he also knows this is part of the reason why so many people love to go camping. Stockton’s last actual camping trip was in 2014, and he doesn’t plan on going on a trip anytime soon. 

Happy Weekend!