KDXU Sunrise Stories for January 8, 2024: Iron County Woman Killed in Rollover Crash, Sends Baby to Hospital

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 126

Statewide News – 01/08/24

Provo Woman Arrested for Murder of Husband

A woman in Provo has been arrested for allegedly murdering her husband on January 6.

Officers in Provo responded to reports of a shooting between a married couple in the area and found husband Corry Fausett dead at the scene.

Melissa Johnson Fausett was taken into custody for the suspected murder of her husband and is now awaiting due process at the Utah County Jail on the charge of homicide.

Paying Utah Farmers to Divert Water to Great Salt Lake

A new proposal from a Democratic representative in Utah would see farmers divert water to the Great Salt Lake to recover from drought.

Democratic Representative Doug Owens is proposing “split season leasing” to compensate for the water shortage in the Great Salt Lake that’s causing ecological issues across the state.

The process of “split season leasing” would have farmers divert water meant for late-season crops toward the Great Salt Lake in exchange for payment from the state.

The idea has been negotiated for months but reportedly has support from a notable agricultural group that represents Utah’s farmers and ranchers.

Southern Utah/St. George News – 01/08/23

Woman Killed in Iron County Rollover Crash

A woman in Iron County unfortunately died due to a fatal rollover crash on I-15 during the early morning hours of January 6.

The black Ford F-150 carrying three passengers slipped off the road around 1:30 a.m. due to black ice coating the freeway, ejecting all three passengers in the process.

The woman was declared dead at the scene by first responders, and the woman’s husband and baby girl were taken to the hospital for treatment. The baby girl had to be transported via helicopter, but it’s unknown how severe the injuries were for both the baby and the woman’s husband.

Out-of-State Crime Rings Targeting Southern Utah

Criminal organizations from outside Utah are targeting the Southern Utah region for easy money.

In a recent interview with PIO Tiffany Mitchell from the St. George Police Department, Officer Mitchell warned residents of an uptick in what she called “distraction thefts” in St. George shopping centers.

The organization targets residents with open bags or purses in their shopping carts in teams of three. If you are curious about how to avoid this trend of crimes. Check out our full article with details on how other recent crimes in Southern Utah tie to these crime rings.

St. George Attorneys Attempt to Dismiss Drag Show Lawsuit

Attorneys representing the city of St. George are pushing for a dismissal of a lawsuit issued by Southern Utah Drag Stars.

The lawsuit was made after the city denied the drag group from performing a show in a public park. A federal judge overruled the decision due to a violation of First Amendment rights.

The drag show went on as planned during the Summer of 2023 despite an outcry from certain members of the public.

Since the show came to fruition, the city’s attorneys are now claiming the lawsuit is unwarranted and should be dismissed. A spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union told Fox 13 News they plan to oppose the attorney’s push.

Cold Weather Ahead for Southern Utah

Early birds heading to church in St. George on January 7 witnessed some light snowfall across Southern Utah due to a storm system covering most of Utah over the weekend.

While most of the snow didn’t stick in Washington County, the cold temperatures are going to linger for a while longer.

This week’s high temperatures will stay around the mid to low 40s, while the evenings will dip below freezing with a possibility of rain and snow on January 10. Be aware of slippery road conditions in Iron Count this week as more cold weather continues to sweep across Southern Utah.

Other

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

Stockton had a tough job over the weekend. He had to tell his mother which homemade fudge recipe was better. It’s not like one of the recipes was bad, but he certainly had the air of a cooking show judge when deciding which one was truly exceptional. He ended up picking the fudge with a dark chocolate taste accompanied by pecans. The other recipe had more marshmallow cream and not as many pecans. Serious business.

Happy Monday!